


Melting the Ice

by ExtraSteps



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, Ice Hockey AU, M/M, liam doesn't handle his ied very well, scott is a prick (sorry)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:01:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 29,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21827134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExtraSteps/pseuds/ExtraSteps
Summary: Liam's entire world is shaken up when Scott McCall, the captain of the Los Angeles Rams and Liam's mentor at the club, unexpectedly asks to be traded to the Dallas Stars. As Liam struggles to deal with this in both his personal and professional life, his teammate and friend, Theo Raeken, is there to help him in any way he can.
Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Nolan/Brett Talbot
Comments: 12
Kudos: 107





	Melting the Ice

**Author's Note:**

  * For [snaeken](https://archiveofourown.org/users/snaeken/gifts).



> Many thanks to the OTL team who ran this competition, to my dear friend Callum for his lovely art that sparked this whole idea (as well as betaing for me) and also to Sefinh who came in near the end to beta also.

This story was created based on this lovely image, by snaeken.

It’s still dark outside when Liam rises, sick of tossing and turning and staring at the clock. His mood is black, blood running hot. He needs to move, to try and get this out of his system.

The gym is empty at this early hour of the morning. Liam lets himself into the locker room, dumping his gear on the bench and pulling out his phone, selecting his playlist. He put his earphones in and goes back into the gym to start his circuit.

Starting with his five kilometre run, it doesn’t take long for Liam to get lost in the movement of putting one foot in front of the other, the music pounding in his ears. The gym slowly fills up around him but he ignores everyone else.

He runs. He lifts. He pulls and pushes every muscle to the limit until they’re straining and he’s drenched in sweat.

It doesn’t help.

Muttering curses under his breath, he rips off his earphones and storms back into the locker room. He showers, glaring a hole into the tiles while that itchy feeling still crawls under his skin.

He dries off and gets changed, shoving his gym gear back into his bag, shoulders hunching as he muscles through the door and outside.

At his car, Liam pauses. Trying to sleep hasn’t worked. Working out hasn’t worked. Other than smashing his fist into Scott’s face, there’s only one option left to him.

He gets in, unlocking his phone and sending off a rapid fire text. Theo answers within seconds.

He already feels a bit better. As much as they’ve had their differences in the past, he knows that Theo would bleed for him, has in fact done so on multiple occasions, putting himself on the line to protect Liam. If anyone can make Liam feel anchored, its him.

It doesn’t take him long at all to get to Theo’s house. He parks on the kerb and jumps out of the car the second it’s turned off, storming towards the house.

Theo opens the door before he can even approach it. Liam can’t meet his eyes, instead staring down at his feet. He hears Theo sigh as he moves aside to let him pass. 

Liam trudges past him, moving straight to his couch and flopping down on top of it. He grabs the blanket that’s already there and wraps it around himself, burying his nose in the material and deeply inhaling. This, right here, this is all he needs right now.

“You had breakfast yet?” Theo asks as he passes the living room.

“Nope.” His reply is muffled by the material, but he knows Theo can hear him. He settles into the couch further.

In his pocket, he can feel his phone vibrating near constantly. He takes it out of his pocket and turns it off, putting it down on the coffee table without even glancing at a single notification. It’s almost definitely Scott, and he’s not ready to talk to him.

“Here,” Theo says a minute later, handing him a steaming mug. It isn’t coffee. Theo knows he hates the stuff unless it's loaded up with every kind of sugar (and he only ever has that before a flight anyway). It’s hot chocolate, filled with far too much sugar and a few tiny marshmallows slowly melting into it. Liam accepts it with a quiet thank you and takes a sip.

He hums happily, wrapping both hands around the mug and letting it warm him inside and out.

“Better?” Theo asks gently.

Liam nods. The blanket, the drink, just Theo’s presence, it’s all soothing in a way that Liam can hardly put into words. He just knows that it helps. He has no idea how he ever functioned without him.

“Good,” Theo says. “I’m cooking up some breakfast for us, so just chill in here for now. “Watch some TV or something.”

“Okay.” He accepts the remote from Theo, still not looking up as he leaves the room, turning on the TV instead. He flicks through the channels when a familiar face catches his eye. Heart sinking in his chest, he watches.

“I’m here now at Rams Headquarters,” the pretty blonde reporter says with a charming smile, “where Scott McCall was pictured entering earlier this morning with his agent. It’s rumoured that he is seeking a trade to fierce rival, Dallas Stars, where a source close to the captain reported he is being offered a three year deal.”

Liam scowls at the television, fingers clenching around the mug. 

“You shouldn’t watch that,” Theo says from the doorway. Liam glances back at him. In the background, the reporter continues.

“According to the rumours, McCall has been unhappy at Los Angeles for some time, and is looking for any way out.”

“What a load of bullshit,” Theo snaps. “You know that’s not true.”

“Do I?” He asks dully. 

Scott was the first friend Liam had made in professional hockey. He mentored him, brought him into the fold, helped him to establish a successful career. They were practically brothers. He’d never even mentioned the possibility of leaving the club.

“You do,” Theo says, eyes shining with conviction. Liam wants to believe him, he really does. 

“In a press conference only half an hour ago, McCall stood beside a clearly frustrated Coach Bobby Finstock and confirmed the rumours, stating that though this was a hard decision to make, he has to think of what is best for his own career.”

Scott appears on the screen, looking uncomfortable while Coach glares a hole into the side of his face. “I want to play on the right side to realise my potential. That's not going to happen in Los Angeles. This has nothing to do with Los Angeles as a city or the club. This is about me getting the chance to be the best player I can be. I've worked hard to get this far. I don't want to look back in 20 years and wish I hadn't just gone with the flow.”

“Bastard,” Liam hisses. Theo is silent now.

The screen goes back to the reporter, now adopting an appropriately serious expression. “Coach Finstock declined to comment, but an official press release from the Los Angeles Rams stated that there have been no contract negotiations between the Rams and Stars over the past several months.”

Theo turns off the TV. Liam’s blood is boiling again, and from the look on Theo’s face, he clearly feels the same.

“I can’t believe it,” Theo says, voice shaking with anger. “What a piece of shit.”

Liam wholeheartedly agrees, and seeing how angry Theo is makes him feel vindicated. He isn’t over-reacting.

“They’ll trade him,” Liam says. “They have to. None of us will accept him back on the team now.”

“He’s burned his bridges,” Theo agrees grimly. “Bring it on, Dallas.”

Their first game against the Stars will certainly be interesting.

Liam watches as Theo stalks back out of the room. This time, he follows him into the kitchen, where Theo is rescuing the bacon from the pan. It’s not burnt but it’s crispier than Theo would normally cook it. In Liam’s eyes though, it’s damn near perfect. His stomach growls and he snags a piece, hissing as the fat burns his fingers and he passes it from hand to hand while blowing on it. When he looks up, Theo is smirking at him.

“That’s what you get for being a bacon thief.”

He stuffs the bacon into his mouth, giving a hum at the crunch of the bacon. “Worth it,” he mumbles. He swallows his prize and then sticks his fingers in his mouth, soothing the burn.

Theo just shakes his head and turns back to the pan, cracking a few eggs into it. He starts making toast as well, and Liam walks to the fridge, wiping his fingers on his shirt. He opens it, pulling out the carton of orange juice and helping himself to a glass. A side eye from Theo has him pouring one for him as well, handing it to him with a smirk before moving to sit down at the island bench.

It’s natural, the way they move around each other. It comes from two years of being on the same team. Two years of flights and practices and team bonding sessions and interviews and of course, being thrown into hotel rooms together. Liam has come to rely on Theo. Even at his worst, something about the other man just brings him back from the edge, helps to calm him.

Theo knows him better than anyone else. He knows what he needs when he’s riding a wave of fury like this, when the black is creeping in around the edges. He’s trying to hold it back with their usual banter but his heart clearly isn’t in it. Theo notices. Of course he does.

“Eat up,” Theo says, sliding a heaped plate in front of him. “You’re gonna be sweating on the longest run of your life.”

Liam nods tightly, conveniently ignoring the fact that he’s already worked out for hours and that most of his muscles are protesting at the rough treatment. His mind is still ticking over, and he won’t stop until it’s quiet and the furious boiling anger in his chest is spent. He knows Theo will be pissed, but he doesn’t care. It’s better than the alternative. He knows that from experience now.

He shovels food into his mouth on autopilot, even zoning out Theo’s voice. It’s in the background, though, the deep tone of it sinking into his bones. 

But he can’t stop thinking about Scott. They were like brothers, or at least he’d thought they were. And Scott hadn’t even messaged him, had never even hinted that he was looking at other options.

It’s a betrayal. One that Liam will not forgive any time soon.

“You done?” Theo asks, waving a hand in front of his face. He looks down, startled to see that his plate is empty.

“Yeah,” he replies, letting Theo take it from him. He watches as Theo stacks the dishes in his dishwasher and turns it on, fingers drumming on the bench. The nervous energy is making him restless, making him feel tense and nauseous.

“You got your gear with you?” Theo asks.

Liam shakes his head. “Just shoes,” he says. His gym bag is in the car, but his stuff is drenched with sweat. There’s no way he can put it back on.

“That’s cool, I’ll lend you some of mine,” Theo says dismissively. He leaves the room, returning two minutes later with a black pair of shorts and a grey singlet, which he chucks at Liam. 

“Thanks,” he calls after his retreating back, making his way to the spare bathroom to change. Once he does, he walks out to his car and quickly pulls out his shoes, stuffing his gym bag underneath one of his jackets in case Theo happens to glance in the window.

He locks the car and moves back to the front porch, sitting on the edge of it to swap over his shoes.

“Almost ready?” Theo asks as he walks out of the house. Liam glances up at him, eyes doing a quick sweep up and down. He’s wearing dark blue shorts and a loose black singlet. It hangs low, showing off a lot of skin, and Liam immediately drags his eyes back up to Theo’s face before he can be caught lingering on the sight.

He nods, turning back to tying up his laces. He puts his other shoes down by the front door, biting back a groan as he stands up. They both stretch, Liam struggling a little and trying desperately to hide it. Luckily, Theo is looking out towards the road and misses the way he winces as he stretches his legs.

Liam knows he’ll regret this, but he can’t afford to let the rage take him. Not again. 

Theo glances at him at a hiss that he can’t quite swallow down, eyes narrowing slightly. “Let’s head to the beach,” he suggests.

Oh god, running on the sand. Theo is trying to kill him.

“Sure,” he agrees immediately.

Theo looks at him a moment longer, eyes staring into his soul, and then he turns, leading the way with a slow warm up jog. Liam follows, gritting his teeth against every jarring thud.

By the time they get to the beach a few kilometres away, Liam’s shirt is drenched and his knees are shaking. They rest and stretch on the footpath and Liam looks down at the miles of bleached white sand with dread. It’s twice as hard to run on sand, even harder when your muscles are already jelly. But it’s helping. The further he runs, the more he focuses on the physical pain instead of the anger. He needs to keep pushing.

Theo, of course, has barely broken a sweat yet, and eyes him once again. He looks angry, and Liam feels himself shrinking back a bit. 

With a muttered curse, Theo continues down to the beach, starting a punishing pace along the compacted sand. From behind him, Liam only gets a few words, mostly the words “stubborn” and “idiot” and “reckless” being repeated. 

He pushes it to the back of his mind, just focuses on putting one foot in front of the other, chasing Theo’s shadow. The world narrows down to his harsh pants for breath and burning legs, everything else falling away. Every step takes him further and further away from the rage as he uses it as fuel, keeping him going long after he should have collapsed into a heap.

Eventually, it’s Theo who has to stop, bent over and putting his hands on his knees, wheezing slightly. Liam stutters to a stop, his knees immediately wobbling. He staggers to the side, landing on his butt with a surprised wheeze.

“Fuck,” he mutters as every single part of his body starts to protest at once, his legs immediately cramping.

Theo is there straight away, helping to pull one leg up and then the other, bending his toes back up and easing the cramps. His strong hands work down the impossibly tight muscles of his calves, fingers digging painfully into the knots. Liam groans, falling onto his back and covering his eyes, teeth sinking into his lower lip. It fucking hurts.

“Is it enough?” Theo snarls, moving to the second leg and repeating the same excruciating process. “Have you punished your body enough yet?”

He nods, swallowing down the lump in his throat at the anger in Theo’s voice.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers. He breathes through the pain as Theo’s fingers work their magic on his legs. His mind is blissfully blank, now focussed completely on his body and Theo. For now, it is enough.

Theo’s mouth goes tight as he clenches his jaw, but he says nothing more. They used to fight about Liam’s terrible coping mechanisms, but as much as it hurts Theo to see him like this Liam would much rather take out his anger on himself than hurt anyone else. He knows Theo doesn’t get it, but that’s okay. He’s there, and that’s all that matters.

“Shoes off and get in the water,” Theo instructs when he’s done, letting Liam’s leg drop back onto the sand. “You’re walking the whole way back.”

Liam doesn’t protest. He knows Theo is right. It will help. At least Theo pulls off his own shoes and joins him.

They walk back down the beach side by side, neither of them talking. Liam soaks in the sounds of the waves gently lapping at the shore, the calls of the gulls, the shrieking laughter of kids splashing each other and pulls it inward, letting it soothe some of the pain. He’ll be damned sore tomorrow, hell, he’s damned sore now, but it’s worth it. 

\---

By the time they get back to Theo’s house, Liam is starting to flag. His eyelids are drooping, energy levels completely depleted.

Theo bustles him inside, directing him straight to his bathroom and pushing him under the showerhead. He turns the tap but Liam doesn’t even have the energy to flinch away from the freezing cold water. Theo leaves him there and he stares at the tiles as he groans, pulling the soaking wet clothes from his body and letting them slap onto the floor of the shower.

The water heats slowly, pounding against the aching muscles of his back, easing some of the soreness. It takes what feels like an age to rinse the saltwater from his skin and shut the tap off, staggering onto the thick bath mat and pulling a towel around his body.

“You decent?” Theo asks from the other side of the door.

He grunts in the affirmative and Theo opens the door, standing aside to let him pass back into his bedroom. He’s put a pair of sweatpants on the bed as well as three bottles of gatorade.

“Drink them,” Theo says, his tone firm. “Yell out once you finish the first one and I’ll bring you some panadol.”

Liam nods meekly, waiting for the other man to leave before drying off, sighing as his arms shake, making it difficult for him to dry his hair. He somehow manages, falling to sit at the edge of the bed to pull on the sweatpants. Uncapping the gatorade, blue of course, Theo’s favourite, he swallows it down, grumbling and griping through each mouthful. His body reacts like it's the first liquid he’s drunk in years rather than hours, and he finishes the bottle in less than a minute, falling back onto the bed with another heartfelt sigh.

“Done,” he calls out.

He hears Theo return a few moments later, but his eyes are already drifting shut. The bed is comfortable and smells like Theo. It’s pulling him into sleep.

Strong, warm hands help him move further up the bed and under the covers, his head sinking into a soft pillow. Two painkillers are pressed into his palm and he swallows them dutifully, washing them down with the second bottle of gatorade handed to him. Theo stands over him until he finishes it, taking the empty bottle from him.

“Thanks,” he murmurs.

“You’re welcome,” Theo replies. His voice is gentle and soft, and Liam feels his fingers brush over his forehead, pushing back his still damp hair. “Get some rest. The other bottle is right here with some more painkillers for when you wake up.”

Liam hums his agreement and snuggles into the pillow, the dark embracing him.

When he wakes up many hours later, he’s sore and grumpy. He rolls onto his side with a grumble, swiping up the panadol and dry swallowing them. Even that small movement makes him cramp up and he grits his teeth through the pain. His hand reaches for the third gatorade and he props it against the pillow, nursing at it while he tries to pull his toes up and ease the burning pain in his calves. Somehow, he thinks he’ll be sitting out of training this week.

The door cracks open and Theo peeks his head in. “Ah, I thought I heard movement. How are you feeling?”

“Sore,” he sighs, sucking at the last of the gatorade and letting the bottle fall from his lips. It rolls down the pillow and onto the floor and is immediately scooped up by Theo and placed back on the bedside table.

“I bet,” Theo says, not sounding particularly impressed. “You worked out before you came to my place, didn’t you?”

There’s no point denying it. He nods, and Theo’s jaw clenches. Liam feels guilty. “I’m sorry,” he whispers. “When I get angry like that, I just need to move, or-”

He breaks off. Theo searches his face, brow furrowing. “Or what?” He prompts.

Liam swallows painfully. He’s put Theo through so much. He deserves the truth.

“I have IED,” he admits, holding Theo’s gaze despite the shame swirling in his chest. He knows it isn’t his fault and that he can’t help it, but it’s still hard to admit. He’s lost a lot of people he cares about over the years because of it.

“What’s that?” Theo asks.

“Intermittent Explosive Disorder,” he says. “My body overreacts sometimes. And it’s like I’m in this tunnel and there’s whistling in my ears and I can’t think straight. When I’m angry, like, really angry, I-” Liam swallows again, dropping his gaze, “I lash out.”

Theo moves to sit on the edge of the bed. “That sounds like it must be really hard for you.”

His throat tightens, stealing his voice. He nods instead, taking some deep, shuddering breaths. Theo reaches out and takes his hand, soothing the back of it with light circles of his thumb. Liam focuses on the feeling and pulls himself together. It takes a long time, but eventually he’s able to pull away, pushing himself up into a sitting position.

“Sorry,” he mumbles. “Talking about it is hard.”

“I get it,” Theo says. His voice is gentle, and his eyes show an understanding that makes Liam’s chest tight for an entirely different reason.

Before either of them can say anything more, Theo’s phone rings. He sighs, pulling it out of his pocket and answering it.

“Yeah?”

Liam can just hear the voice of coach in the background. “Dunbar with you?”

“He is,” Theo confirms, glancing at him quickly.

“Good,” Coach says. “Get your asses down here now. Team meeting.”

He hangs up the phone and Theo scowls. “Yes sir,” he says sarcastically, pushing himself to his feet. Liam gets out of bed, grimacing as his feet hit the floor. He’s not looking forward to this meeting at all.

Theo walks back into the room and gives his phone back. Liam sighs deeply but turns it on, watching as it slowly loads. As soon as he puts in his pin, it starts vibrating through a million notifications. He’s not ready to look at any of them and shoves it in the pocket of his borrowed sweatpants. Theo nods his approval, passing him a dark green hoodie that he immediately pulls over his head. If he buries his nose in it when Theo walks away, well, no one apart from him knows.

There’s still more to be said between them, but Theo keeps the conversation light on the drive to LA Rams headquarters. By the time they pull into the carpark, he’s managed to make Liam laugh a few times, and it makes Liam realise all over again how lucky he is to have the other man in his life, even if it’s only as a friend. He’s the best friend anyone could ever ask for.

There’s a hoard of reporters at the gate, but security holds them back to let their car through. They yell at them through the windows, asking for a quote, an opinion, an indication on how they feel about Scott’s betrayal. Liam ignores them, staring straight ahead while Theo drives past. 

They pause at the gate for Theo to show his pass, and Jake, the twinkiest security guard that Liam has ever seen, buzzes them through. He gives them a warm smile, and Liam nods in return.

He can’t deny he’s thought about it. But it’s best to keep his hook-ups anonymous and far away from his working life. He doesn’t want to be yet another dumb jock trusting the wrong person and getting his nudes plastered over the internet.

Liam doesn’t have time for that sort of media circus in his life. The current shit storm is already too much.

“Ready to face the team?” Theo asks, glancing at him after he parks and turns off the ignition. Liam looks along the row of cars. It looks like they’re the last ones here.

“What choice do I have?” He shrugs. Theo just looks at him, and he sighs. “I’ll be fine.”

“If you’re sure,” Theo says, waiting for him to nod again before getting out of the car. Liam follows him, waiting as Theo locks it and then walks around. He squeezes his shoulder once and then leads the way inside the building.

From down the hall, he can already hear the commotion.

“-can’t be seriously considering this, Coach!” He hears Garrett yell.

“I’ll consider whatever I damn well like,” Coach snaps back. “Sit your punk ass down, Davies.”

“Coach-”

“Shut up, Greenburg!” Coach yells. “Unless you wanna be doing laps for the rest of your damn careers, I suggest you sit down.”

Theo chuckles, shooting him an amused look. Liam smiles back, but it's more of a grimace than anything else. When Theo pauses at the door, Liam gently pushes past him and opens it himself, stepping through the doorway.

Garrett, who had been about to continue arguing, snaps his mouth shut and sits down, a steely look on his face. “About time, Dunbar,” he says.

“That’s my fault,” Theo says smoothly, shutting the door behind him. “We went for a huge run after we got the news, I pushed him too far.”

Garrett accepts this with a reluctant nod, and Liam goes from looking at him to scanning the rest of the team. They all look pissed, though they have every right to. Scott’s done them all dirty.

“Sorry we’re late,” he offers to Coach, who is looking at him with a bemused look on his face. He nods, indicating with a tip of his head for them to sit. They both do so, taking the spots in the middle of the bench clearly reserved for them.

“Now that we’re all here,” Coach says, his voice firm, “we can get started. Now, I know you’re all aware of the interview this morning.”

He raises his hand for quiet as the team starts protesting again, all trying to speak over the top of each other.

“Don’t worry,” he says, raising his voice to be heard. “We have no intention of accepting McCall back.”

At this, everyone immediately goes quiet, actually giving him their undivided attention. Liam glances at Theo, who nods. It was as he’d said earlier, no one would accept Scott back on the team.

“We’ll be taking Dallas for every damned cent we can squeeze out of those bastards,” he says with a demented grin, bringing a fist into the air and squeezing it to demonstrate his meaning. “Oh, they will pay, don’t you worry about that. I have legal going through McCall’s contract with a fine-toothed comb, looking for every possible way we can benefit from this.”

 _Good_ , Liam thinks to himself. _But that’s just the team, what about Scott?_

Coach seems to read his mind, his smile becoming impossibly more terrifying. “As for McCall, well, I hope he enjoys seeing his blood on the ice, because every game we play against that little bastard is going to be a bloodbath.”

Enforcers are becoming a thing of the past, but they all know how to thrown down when it’s necessary. Liam knows for a fact he wouldn’t want to be the one crunched between Brett and Theo. He’s seen it happen, when some bruiser on another team targeted their goalie, Corey. The two of them made him regret that decision dearly.

Sure enough, he notices Brett meeting Theo’s gaze, lips turning up in a predatory smile. 

“But that will be sorted out by the end of this week,” Coach says dismissively. “Training will continue as usual. No comments to the press, to friends or family, nothing. I will take any leaks out on your hides in training, believe it.”

Liam does. Coach can get scary when he’s angry. And he’s plenty scary enough when he isn’t angry.

“Right, off you go then,” Coach nods. “Back here bright and early for training. Get some rest.”

Everyone gets up to leave, and Liam stands as well.

“Not you, Dunbar,” Coach barks.

He sits back down, and Theo gives him a quizzical look. He gestures for him to go, smoothing a hand through his hair and staring down at his feet while everyone filters out of the room.

Once the last person leaves and closes the door behind him, Coach sighs.

“Right,” he says. “How’s your head, Dunbar?”

“Screwed on,” he mutters. “More or less.” He looks up at Coach, who gives an approving nod. He’s one of the very few people who know about Liam’s IED. He has to, in case Liam ever goes off during training or a game. The second a fight starts up, he’s the first one dragged off the ice and taken down to the locker room if necessary. Liam appreciates it. He doesn’t want an incident any more than Coach does.

“Good,” Coach says. “I’m making you captain.”

Liam gapes at him. “What?” He stammers.

“You heard me,” Coach says. “You’re one of the most senior players on the team now, you know the plays, the team respects you more than they do me, really. You’re the obvious choice.”

“What about Brett?” He points out. “Or Garrett?”

“Too hot-headed,” Coach says dismissively. He seems to be oblivious to the irony of appointing Liam as captain instead, who is literally only ever one slight inconvenience away from boiling point.

“But-”

“No,” Coach says firmly, glaring at him. “It’s you. End of conversation. It’ll be announced publicly after we deal with McCall.”

He stares at Coach, absolutely floored. He’s always dreamed of making captain one day of course, but not like this. It doesn’t feel right.

“See you tomorrow, Dunbar.” He tips his head towards the door, and Liam gets up and walks out on autopilot. He gets into Theo’s car, staring down at his hands.

He feels the curious look that Theo is giving him on the side of his face but ignores it for the moment. He’s still processing how he feels about this.

Ever since his stepfather had taught him how to skate and put that stick in his hand, Liam has loved hockey. He loves the physicality of it, the way his muscles burn as he pushes himself for that little bit of extra speed, the thrill of dodging hits and scoring the winning goal while fans roar his name. 

Going pro had been the icing on the cake. His mother had cried when he got the call, great big heaving sobs. Idly, he wonders how she’ll react to the news of him making captain.

It’s always been the goal. Captain Dunbar. It was part of what had made him so envious of Scott, even as he’d loved having him as captain. It was the way the other players looked to him, the way he stood proudly in front of press and spoke with such conviction, the way he could rev them all up with just a few choice words. 

Can Liam really do all that?

As much as he hates Scott right now, he hates more that he’s leaving and putting all this responsibility on his shoulders. He isn’t ready to be captain.

“What did he want?” Theo prompts. Liam looks up, realising that they’re now parked back in Theo’s driveway.

He turns his head to look at him. “He made me captain.”

“That’s good, right?” Theo says, searching his face.

Liam rubs his hands over his face, feeling weary. “Yeah, I mean, I just-”

“Didn’t think it would happen like this?” Theo guesses when he trails off.

Liam nods. “Yeah,” he whispers. “Not like this.”

\---

Training is brutal. For lack of the obvious target, Coach seems determined to take Scott’s departure out on the team instead, pushing them to their limits and beyond. Liam spends more time than he would care to admit puking his guts out in the locker room toilet.

It works though. They’re all too tired to focus on anything but putting one foot in front of the other, remaining oblivious to the media storm that hovers ever watchful for a hint of a story. 

Liam leads them in the best way he can, never giving up despite the brutal onslaught of laps, reps and scrimmages Coach throws their way. He never complains, not once, and the team begins to begrudgingly follow his lead.

A month into preseason, and they might as well be a different team. They’re strong, they’re focussed, and they’re hungry for the win.

“Right,” Coach barked after blowing his whistle right in Liam’s ear. “Hit the showers. I don’t want to see you lot until take off on Thursday.”

Liam doesn’t question it. Three days off before their first game? What bliss.

He showers quickly, ignoring the other guys chatting and laughing, just trying to get clean and get out of there. He’s exhausted, and he’s already mentally mapping out the next few days.

The shower next to him turns on, and Liam glances out of the corner of his eye, nodding at Theo. 

“How are you going to spend your days off?” Theo asks conversationally, sticking his head under the water and flicking it back. Liam glances down at Theo’s chest and then away, staring up at the ceiling instead.

“As little as possible to be honest,” he admits. “I need some down time.”

Theo hums his agreement.

“You?” Liam asks, glancing at him again. Theo has his hands above his head, rubbing shampoo into his hair. His eyes are closed, expression relaxed. The suds drip down the side of Theo’s neck, creating streaky white lines that wash down his chest with the spray of water.

Theo sticks his head back under the water before responding, pushing his hair back from his face impatiently. It’s getting quite long. No doubt he’ll get it cut before the season opener in a few days. Liam sort of wishes he wouldn’t.

“See my sister, I guess,” Theo shrugs. “That’s about it, really.”

“Cool,” Liam says. “Hit me up if you get bored. We can hang out, play some video games or something.”

Theo nods, shooting him a smile. “Will do.”

Just not tonight, Liam thinks, turning away, rushing through the last of his shower. He has plans.

Ten minutes later, he’s scrubbing his towel through his still damp hair, making for the car park. He jumps into his car and starts it up, excitement thrumming through his body. He’s been way too tired to do anything other than eat dinner and conk out on the couch five minutes into a movie. 

When he gets home, he orders takeaway and cracks open a bottle of wine, sighing happily at the first sip. Next, he puts his feet up on the couch and finds a movie from his to-watch list on Netflix, snuggling under the blanket as he swiftly loses himself in the action.

The doorbell shocks him half an hour later, but he gleefully runs to the door and accepts his food, stomach rumbling as the scent of the cheap Chinese take-away hits his nostrils. This, right here, is pure luxury.

He returns to his blanket burrito and stuffs his face with fried rice, honey chicken and spring rolls. Pouring himself a second glass of wine when the first evaporates.

By the end of the film, he’s relaxed and slightly buzzing, taking the third glass of wine with him to the bathroom, where he pours himself a bubble bath.

As he watches the bubbles rise to the top, he idly wonders what all of his die-hard fans would think if they saw him now. With a smirk, he sinks into the hot water and groans, letting his eyes close as his mind drifts.

The first person who comes to mind is the cute security guard. His mind immediately conjures a scenario where he stays back late in the locker room, water pounding at the back of his neck as he relaxes after a hard training.

_He’s alone. Everyone has already left._

_Or so he thinks, anyway. Without his knowledge, Jake is there and lets himself in, watching him from the doorway. Liam catches sight of him from the corner of his eye, but Jake doesn’t notice. He’s staring at his ass, a hungry expression on his face._

_Liam takes full advantage of his distraction, soaping up a washcloth and running it up and over his chest, one arm and then the other, then the back of his neck. He feels the suds slowly sliding down his back, hears the bitten off groan as they drip between his cheeks._

_Liam takes his cock in his hand, letting himself relax as he slips further into the fantasy, slowly pumping it._

_He knows Jake won’t resist him for long. From his peripheral vision, he can already see the other man rubbing himself through his pants with the heel of his hand. Liam decides to up the ante and bends down to wash his legs. Jake must have a hell of a view right now, but Liam doesn’t feel an ounce of shame. He just wants._

_And sure enough, Jake takes a half step forward, whispering an obscenity that Liam only just hears. He smirks as he carefully soaps up both legs, spreading them so that he can clean his inner thighs._

_Jake’s had enough. “You’re a fucking tease,” he says hoarsely, moving closer. Liam doesn’t both to pretend he hadn’t known he was there._

_“It’s only teasing if you don’t give in,” he points out._

_He hears clothes hit the floor, and then moments later there’s a warm body behind him, hands grabbing his ass and spreading his cheeks, a thick cock resting against his hole._

_Liam gasps, the movements of his hand quickening. God, it’s been way too long since he’s been fucked, and just imagining it has him on the edge already._

_“This what you wanted?”_

_Liam stands, leaning back against the muscular chest, wantonly rubbing his ass against that gorgeous cock. He shivers at the light scruff of facial hair against his neck, moaning as teeth sink into his skin._

_“Please,” he gasps, writhing as two strong hands grab his hips and hold him still._

_He’s turned around and shoved against the wall, whimpering as he looks into familiar green eyes._

Liam groans as he comes, splattering his stomach and chest and even his chin. He gives an incredulous laugh, resting his head against the edge of the bath. He knows that your mind can conjure up some pretty weird scenarios, but why the fuck would Theo feature in one of his fantasies?

He cleans himself off, feeling satisfied but also a little ashamed. He’d just gotten off imagining his best friend manhandling him in the locker room. That was fucked up. 

Right?

Liam has a restless sleep, tossing and turning in bed all night. He keeps waking up with a gasp, his cock hard and leaking, Theo’s wicked smile tormenting him as he squirms and tries desperately to avoid coming the thought of him again.

By morning, he’s grouchy, stomping around his house while he holds the biggest cup of coffee ever between his hands.

He feels restless but forces himself to sit in front of the TV, flicking through channels before settling on CSI Miami reruns. It’s mindless and he pushes everything else away to focus on what Horatio is saying.

Of course, his phone rings, and of course, it’s Theo. He glances at the screen and forgets his grouchiness, instead flushing and turning away, teeth sinking into his lower lip. He feels guilty again. This is his best friend, not a random pretty face.

The phone rings out, and then rings again. Theo is nothing if not determined.

Eventually, Theo gives up on ringing and texts instead.

That bloody twerking video. He knew that drinking tequila was a bad idea.

Liam groans, throwing his phone aside. How is he supposed to face Theo when all he can think about is those pretty lips of his wrapped around his cock? This is such a disaster.

Theo, being Theo, lets himself into Liam’s house ten minutes later. Liam stares stonily at the TV, trying to ignore the fact that he looks pathetic like this: spending his day off alone and on the couch in just his sleep shorts while Horatio saves the day again.

“Really?” Theo asks from the doorway, voice laden with sarcasm. “CSI?”

He just shrugs, avoiding Theo’s gaze. The other man flops onto the couch beside him, too close for Liam’s comfort. He can smell how fresh and clean he is, his body wash making him squirm a little. It’s a bit woodsy, and all Liam can think about is rolling around in the preserve behind his old house with Theo.

Theo’s eyes burn into the side of his face, and eventually he huffs, turning to look at him. “What?”

“Anything you want to talk about?” Theo asks cautiously. There’s a look of concern on his face, and Liam slumps. God, Theo can read him like a book.

“No,” he sighs. “I’m fine.”

“Watching lame crime shows is not fine,” Theo points out. “Neither is not sleeping.” He gives the cup of coffee in Liam’s hands a pointed look.

“I slept fine,” Liam says defensively.

“Right,” Theo drawls. “That’s why you have dark circles under your eyes and a cup of coffee bigger than your head.”

Liam says nothing, his eyes dropping. He can’t talk about this with Theo. It’s weird and so inappropriate. He doesn’t even know what Theo’s sexuality is. The whole time they’ve been friends, they’ve never really talked about, well, relationships or any of that stuff. It’s generally been about hockey or working out or Liam being a wanker.

It’s only this off-season that they’ve started to grow truly close, and Liam doesn’t want to ruin that with what is probably just a silly crush. Maybe he needs to get laid or something, put it behind him.

“Earth to Liam?” Theo waves his hand in front of his face and Liam blinks rapidly. 

“Huh?”

“Wow, you really went somewhere else for a second there,” Theo said. The teasing was gone now, leaving only genuine concern. Theo is such a good guy. He deserves way better than Liam’s lurid fantasies about him.

“Sorry,” he sighs. “I guess you’re right. I am tired.”

“You want to hang out?” Theo asks tentatively. “Or should I leave?”

“No,” Liam says, offering him a small smile. “It’s okay, we can hang out. Just let me have a shower, try and wake up.”

“Alright,” Theo agrees easily, still watching him like a hawk. “But then I’m taking you out for some food. Some real food.”

Liam nods, biting down on his lip. They go out for food all the time. It’s nothing to get excited about. Not that that stops his pulse from racing, or his knees from going slightly weak at the thought of Theo looking after him. 

_Bad Liam_ , he admonishes himself silently. _Bad, bad, bad._

\---

Liam stands in line, waiting to check his baggage in. He feels rested after spending a few days relaxing, and is even a bit more at ease around Theo. They’d spent quite a bit of time together, and eventually Liam had been able to calm his heart rate a bit around him. He’s still so much more aware of him than he used to be, but it doesn’t feel quite so scary or overwhelming.

“Hey,” Theo says, nudging his shoulder to hand him a takeaway cup of coffee.

“God, thank you,” Liam says, gratefully taking it from him. “I needed this.”

“All those late nights,” Theo says with a smirk.

Behind them, Garrett snorts and Liam shoots him a confused look. He gives a shake of his head, clearly having no interest in enlightening him what exactly he finds so amusing. He pulls out his phone though, tapping away rapidly.

“How are you feeling?” Theo asks, a bit quieter this time, now conscious of the fact that Garrett is listening in.

“I’m alright,” he says, giving Theo a tight-lipped smile. They’re closer than they’ve ever been, but it still feels strange to Liam to open himself up to someone like this. He’s so used to holding all his cards close to his chest, trying to keep an iron-tight grip on his control. His IED is always present in the back of his mind, a light simmer that blips with every negative emotion. Talking about things has never been his forte, and the frustration he feels sometimes has caused attacks in the past.

He’s been going slowly though, opening up to Theo and talking through some things, and pushing his body to the limits through running or lifting weights when words just aren’t enough. It’s helping. He’s dealt with most of his anger towards Scott, though the betrayal still lingers. He isn’t looking forward to their grudge match against Scott’s team in a few weeks. Liam is all too aware of how much the media will whip into a frenzy over it.

“You sure?” Theo asks, leaning in even closer, trying to shield Liam from the others with his body. His proximity makes Liam shiver, and he has to drop his eyes to hide the longing in them. Hide how much he wants to tilt his chin up just a little bit and brush his lips over Theo’s…

He clears his throat. “Yeah, honestly. I’ve got my head screwed on, I’m fit, I’m ready. Let’s go smash these Knights.”

Theo nods, looking pleased. “Alright then.”

It’s not a long flight, thankfully. Liam of course sits next to Theo. They’re in business class and Liam stretches out on his seat, staring out the window. Theo is watching a video on his phone, and it’s nice. It’s not the sort of friendship where they feel the need to fill every silence. They can just exist together with no pressure, and Liam likes that he doesn’t feel like he’s on display all the time. It’s one of the main reasons their friendship works so well.

The plane touches down and they make their way into the airport, where Liam is stopped for an interview immediately, with cameras flashing in his face and reporters waving their microphones in his face. The team’s PR manager, Derek, is at his side moments later. He knows all the reporters by name and gets them into some sort of order. They ask their questions and Liam gives the planned responses. He and Derek have spent a lot of time in previous weeks discussing what he needs to say, and he doesn’t feel any pressure in speaking at all.

He’s confident. He’s collected. He’s focused.

Theo returns with their baggage, and Derek thanks the reporters firmly, making it clear that they need to move on. Liam nods politely and allows the two of them to lead him away. He takes a deep breath once they’re out of sight down a long corridor, letting his shoulders slump.

Derek pats him on the shoulder. “You did good, kid.”

“Thanks,” he mutters. It’s hard to put on a brave face in front of the cameras, but it’s necessary. They can’t afford any more attention on them than what there already is. Once they win a few games, hopefully the media will find their next big story and leave Liam be.

Theo smiles at him reassuringly, and Liam smiles back. 

“Come on,” Theo says, giving him a wink that definitely does not make Liam’s heart skip a beat. “Let’s go check in at the hotel and order room service.”

“Sounds perfect,” he agrees.

By now, he’s used to the fact that he and Theo always share hotel rooms. It’s easier for them to pair up, because they get a bigger room and Liam won’t sleep unless someone bullies him into it. He gets too hyped up before a game, too filled with restless energy. 

Since rooming with Theo, that hasn’t been as much of an issue. Theo had picked up on it pretty quickly. Even with Theo in the room, he’d still paced the floor, back and forth, chewing on his fingers. He just gets so anxious. What if he misses an important shot? What if he trips? What if he gets injured? What if he straight up forgets how to skate?

It’s ridiculous, he knows that. But that doesn’t make the anxiety go away. If anything it makes it worse, because then he starts worrying that he’ll be so tired that he falls asleep and misses the game entirely.

Theo was the one to suggest hitting the gym or pool and work off some of his energy so that he can actually sleep. Not too much, of course. He doesn’t want to overdo it and be sore for the game, but enough that his brain switches off a bit. It had helped, and the two of them have been close ever since. Theo is the one he turns to when he’s overwhelmed.

Which is why he’s struggling so much now. He can’t just tell Theo he’s fantasising about him.

“You good?” Theo asks. They’re at their room, and Theo is holding the door open for him.

“Oh, yeah,” he shakes his head. “Sorry.” He brushes past Theo and into their room. He gives an appreciate whistle. “Damn, it’s nice.” Normally they get a one-room kind of deal, but this has a hallway that leads past a bathroom. There’s a small kitchen and then…

“Seriously?” Theo sighs.

There’s one bed.

Liam drops his bag at the base of the bed, misery filling him. God, how can he possibly hide the fact that he’s dreaming of Theo while in bed with him? This will be torture.

“It’s alright,” Theo says hesitantly behind him. “I’ll get our room changed.”

He leaves before Liam can reply. Liam chews on his lower lip, feeling guilty. It shouldn’t be a big deal. They’re grown ups. Sharing a bed isn’t that big of a deal. But the thought of waking up and having Theo right in front of him? It’s far more enticing than it has any right to be.

Liam doesn’t see Theo again before the team dinner. He doesn’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. He assumes that he wasn’t able to change their room, as it would have happened by now. Perhaps he’s mad about it?

He panics a little, eyes flicking up every time someone enters the restaurant, the tension clear in the line of his shoulders.

“Don’t worry,” Brett drawls, his lips turned up in that half-joking, half-cruel smirk of his when he’s enjoying someone else’s discomfort. “I’m sure your boyfriend will be here soon.”

“Shut up,” he mutters. 

Brett just laughs at him. Liam catches a significant look between Garrett and Corey, and stonily ignores it. Why is his team always laughing at him?

While he stares down at his bread roll, shredding it to pieces, Theo slips into the vacant seat beside him. “Sorry I’m late,” he says to the team. His shoulder brushes Liam’s in a more personal apology. Liam shoots him a smile, which Theo returns. 

Theo is pulled into conversation by Nolan across the table and Liam studies his profile. He doesn’t seem angry. Maybe Liam is reading too much into it.

He looks away, meeting Corey’s eyes. Corey gives him a knowing look and Liam flushes. Fuck.

Liam is eventually drawn into the discussion when Theo directs a question at him, and the time flies. The food is incredible, but Liam barely notices it. All he can think about is what lies at the end of the night.

One bed. 

Way too soon, the dinner is over and everyone is getting up to leave. Before he gets too far, there’s a group of girls in front of them, begging photos and autographs. They indulge them, and Liam smiles at the camera, mind elsewhere.

Theo charms the pants off of them, teasing them as he signs the back of one girl’s phone case. She blushes and stares at him adoringly. Liam feels a surge of jealousy that he tries not to show.

Brett comes up behind them, ruffling Liam’s hair. “Can’t take you boys anywhere,” he smirks. Of course the girls gush over him as well, and they take the opportunity to slip away.

They glance back, both snickering as the girls all try to talk over each other, firing questions at Brett.

“You good?” Liam asks Theo once they’re a safe distance away.

Theo shoots him a surprised look. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“The hotel situation,” Liam suggests. “You seemed angry.”

Theo frowns. “I mean, it’s annoying. But I’m not mad about it. It’s not that different from sleeping in two singles a metre away from each other, really.”

It’s very different, but Liam doesn’t say that out loud.

“I guess,” he agrees.

“You cool with it?” Theo asks him, studying his face.

No. “Yeah, it’ll be fine,” Liam says.

Theo doesn’t look convinced, but allows the subject to drop.

They get back to the hotel and enter their room. “Gym or pool?” Theo checks.

Liam considers. He doesn’t really feel like lifting or running. “Pool,” he decides. Theo nods. They both grab a change of clothes and head down to the hotel’s leisure centre. It’s pretty deserted at this time of night and Liam changes into his board shorts, leaving his stuff in a locker and standing at the edge of the pool, looking down into the water.

“Is it heated?” Theo asks, coming up next to him.

He dips a toe in, grimacing. “Sadly, no.”

“Unfortunate,” Theo says, with just enough mischief in his voice that Liam realises what he’s about to do. There’s no time to react though, because Theo has grabbed him and the next thing he knows they’re hurtling towards the water. 

The shock of the cold water steals his breath away. Theo pulls him straight back up to the surface and he sputters while Theo laughs. 

He splashes him, and Theo dives away. Well, the chase is on after that. They splash, they dunk each other, they race and just generally act like little kids. It’s nice, and completely takes Liam’s mind off of the stress of the upcoming game.

After they’re both tired, they get out and as they’re walking towards the showers, Liam spots another room.

“Look,” he says, nudging Theo.

“Oh fuck yes,” Theo says, moving to the door and pushing it open. It’s an enormous hot tub. Theo fiddles around with a few buttons and it’s soon bubbling away. “Will probably take awhile to heat up,” Theo muses.

“That’s fine,” Liam says. He rinses off in the provided shower and steps down into it, sighing as one of the jets immediately hits him right between the shoulder blades. He groans. It’s pure bliss.

A minute later he hears Theo slip in on and looks at him through lidded lashes. Theo’s eyes immediately close and Liam studies him with a frown. Had he just been watching him?

Theo gives a happy hum, shifting so that the jets hit different parts of his back, and Liam feels his board shorts getting tight. He has to look away and try and think of something else, because Theo’s face right now is far too enticing.

“Doesn’t get much better than this,” Theo murmurs.

“Yeah,” Liam sighs. He could think of several ways it could be better, namely with Theo sitting in his lap-

He has to cut that thought before it can go any further, grimacing. God, why can’t he let this go?

They stay in the spa until their fingers are wrinkled. Liam’s eyelids are drooping a bit. Clearly a nice hot bath is the key to soothing his anxiety. He’ll have to remember that.

“C’mon,” Theo says. He’s standing in front of Liam, offering him a hand. Theo pulls him up and Liam groans. Theo shoots him a look that Liam is too tired to try and decipher. Instead, he just steps out of the tub and follows Theo to the locker room. They shower in separate stalls. Liam contemplates jerking off and thinks better of it. He doesn’t think he’ll be able to keep quiet enough with Theo right there.

He puts the shower on cold instead, letting it cool his heated blood. It has the unfortunate side effect of waking him up.

Liam shuffles out of the shower and dresses quickly, pulling on sweatpants and a singlet. Theo follows a few minutes later, dressing in shorts and a hoodie.

They walk side by side back to their room. Both silent and lost in their thoughts.

Liam hangs his wet board shorts in the bathroom to dry. He brushes his teeth, rinsing out his mouth and then that’s it, he’s standing at the end of the bed. He has his own pillow clutched in his arms, trepidation filling him.

Theo goes into the bathroom and Liam pulls off his shirt, climbing into the bed. He curls onto his side, facing the wall. He closes his eyes, very aware of every sound Theo makes as he moves around getting ready for bed.

Eventually, he slips into the bed. Liam feels it dip. It takes everything in him not to roll over.

“Good night,” Theo whispers.

“Night,” he murmurs back. Theo shifts a few times and then lies still. Liam opens his eyes, staring straight ahead in the darkness. 

It takes a long time for him to fall asleep.

When he wakes, he’s warm. He blinks his eyes open, frowning in confusion. It takes him a few long moments to realise that he’s draped over Theo’s chest. He flushes and tries to wriggle away, but the arm slung around his back tightens, holding him there.

With a grunt, he pushes himself up on one elbow, looking down at Theo’s face. His face slips from relaxed into a slight frown. It’s adorable.

Theo’s eyes blink open. They stare at each other, faces only inches apart. Theo gives a soft smile and Liam wants to kiss it from his mouth, wants to taste it on his tongue. The smile slips as Theo becomes more aware. His eyes flick down and Liam’s heart stops. Is he?

“Sorry,” Theo says, his arm sliding down Liam’s back and away. Liam moves back, heart pounding in his chest. For a long, tense second, he’d thought that Theo was going to kiss him.

There’s an awkward silence between them as they get ready for the day. Liam is confused. He doesn’t understand what just happened. He looks at Theo out of the corner of his eye, watching as he checks his bag for the third time so far. Liam feels a pang in his chest, one that makes it hard to swallow.

Clearly, his brain is playing tricks on him, trying to convince him that Theo wants him when he doesn’t. It’s just wishful thinking, that’s all.

\---

A bus picks up the team from the hotel. Liam sits at the front, his expression grim. He has to put Theo out of his mind. There’s a game to win and he can’t afford to lose focus. It’s difficult though, with Theo sitting beside him, staring broodingly out the window.

Liam wants to nudge him, maybe crack a joke, put him at ease, but every time he goes to open his mouth, his brain freezes.

When they get to the rink, they’re bustled straight through to the locker room, and then Liam doesn’t have time to think about Theo even if he wanted to. They get dressed, they warm up at the rink, return to the locker room for the usual pep talk. Although, can it really be called a pep talk when it’s Coach?

“Alright losers,” Coach says with a malicious grin, eyes twinkling with an almost demonic glee. “Get out there and kick some butts, or else.”

Very motivating.

Liam helps Corey with his pads. Gone now is the usually mild-mannered guy he’s played with for the past few years. As soon as he gets his gear on, Corey becomes some kind of demon. There’s a nasty twist to his mouth that tells Liam that heads will roll. 

He smirks at Corey as he hands him his hockey stick, and the goalie nods, pulling his helmet down, teeth flashing in what he assumes is meant to be a smile. He pats him on the shoulder and sends him on his way, checking on the rest of the team.

It feels weird to be the one going around giving words of encouragement and helping with last minute prep. The responsibility sits heavy on his shoulders, but he squares them up and ploughs on anyway. The team needs him, and he can’t show them that he’s panicking inside.

One by one, he sends them out there onto the rink, until finally it’s only him and Theo.

“You good?” Liam asks him. Theo is sitting on the bench, slowly and meticulously checking his laces, making sure they’re tight enough. 

“Yeah,” Theo responds, glancing up at him. His eyes flick back down, and Liam frowns.

“Hey,” he says gently, sitting beside him. “We’ve got this.”

Theo nods. Where Liam needs reassurance the night before, for Theo it’s always here, the moment right before the game when he has his doubts. 

“I mean it,” Liam says firmly. “We have a good team, guys who’ll put everything they have out there on that rink. Everyone knows their role, everyone knows our plays. They don’t stand a chance.”

“I know, but-”

Liam interrupts him. “Theo, I need you watching my back out there. I need your head in the game, can you do that?

Theo studies his face, his expression serious. Liam looks back at him, eyes steady and shining with confidence. He might be terrified himself, but he doesn’t doubt for a second that Theo will protect him out there.

“Yeah,” Theo says eventually. “I’ve got your back.” He smiles, and it’s genuine. “C’mon Captain Cupcake. Better not keep them waiting.”

Liam rolls his eyes but follows him down the hall. 

It’s game time.

They warm up, racing around for a few laps, ignoring the occasional jeers and boos from the fans. They’re not exactly popular here. It’s a bitter rivalry, one that Liam normally relishes. There’s nothing quite as sweet as beating Vegas, especially on their own ice. It’s mostly borne from one game a few years ago with what had been basically a brawl. It was before Liam’s time, but he’s traded more than enough knocks since to have a genuine dislike for the team as a whole.

They’re going to win. He’ll make sure of it.

There’s the usual pregame light show and home team introductions. The announcer mutters their names into the microphone and then they’re lining up. 

Liam trusts every single guy at his back as he skates to the centre. 

The hand shake with Karlsson is more of a hand crush, and then they’re both a metre apart, bodies tense, waiting for the referee.

The music fades away. The screams of the crowd become white noise. His own breath fills his ears as his focus narrows.

The puck drops. Liam shoots forward, wrestling with Karlsson over the puck. Liam manages to flick it away but it’s intercepted by the opposition, and then they’re off, chasing that tiny little puck up and down and around the entire rink, body checking and cursing as goal opportunities are made and missed.

Vegas scores first. They’re on their way up the rink when the puck is stolen by Karlsson who immediately flicks it towards Smith. No one’s ready for it and the puck flicks past Corey and hits the top of the goal, flying down into the back. Liam scowls, coming to a stop and shaking his head while Vegas celebrates. Not the start they were after at all.

He exchanges a glance with Theo, who looks pissed. It was stolen from him, and Liam can already see him beating himself up about it. Liam skates over and checks him with his shoulder. “Focus,” he admonishes gently.

Theo nods, his lips a thin line on his face, his frown deeply pronounced. Liam doesn’t like where his headspace is at all. He glances over at Coach, who is looking at Theo with a scowl.

The puck is down again and this time it’s Liam who wins it, passing it off to Garrett. They weave around the defenders and Liam slopes around the back of the net, right into the path of Garrett’s pass. He flicks it back on autopilot, but it’s deflected at the last second.

He mutters under his breath, already chasing Karlsson down the rink, slamming him into the side wall and wrestling for the puck. His breath is stolen from him moments later when Reaves rams him, his shoulder digging right into the middle of his back and stealing his breath.

Liam’s grabbed by Karlsson a moment later and moved out of the way. He gasps for breath, head turning to watch as Theo rips off his gloves, face like a thundercloud as he descends on Reaves. He can’t do anything but watch as the two dance around each other, a ref watching closely as fists fly.

Reaves gets the first hit and then Theo is on him, landing hit after hit. They grapple together, and then two refs are pulling them apart, shoving them towards the penalty boxes. Five for fighting. As they skate off, Reaves waves to the crowd, pumping them up.

Liam shakes his head in disgust, glancing up at the clock. They’re not even three minutes into the game.

The team is rattled, and it doesn’t take long for Vegas to score again. Pacioretty scores an easy goal, and Liam takes the opportunity to grab his own team together. 

“Guys,” he snaps. “Is this really what we’ve been training so hard for? To lose to Reaves and Karlsson?”

“Fuck that,” Brett snarls.

“Well where’s the defense then?” Liam says to him, eyes flashing. “Step up.”

“Tell that to your boyfriend,” Brett says with a sneer. Liam doesn’t have time to address that. Instead, he levels Brett with a stern look.

“Leave Theo to me,” he says firmly. “Do your fucking job.”

Brett scoffs and skates off.

“He’s just pissed we’re losing,” Nolan offers. Liam gives a tight nod of acknowledgement, clapping Nolan on the shoulder before skating away.

They get back into position and Liam pushes away everything, intensely focused on the puck. He moves lightning quick, scooping it up. 

This time, Vegas barely has a second to respond. Stiles is halfway up the rink and Liam passes to him, faking left and instead cutting hard right, getting the puck back from Stiles and shooting past the defenders. He slots the puck right over the goalie’s left shoulder, pumping his fist in victory as he skates around the back of the goal and back towards his team.

They grab him and it's high fives all round. Brett gives him a grudging nod, which Liam returns. They’ve got this.

A few more minutes pass and Theo’s back on the ice. Liam checks him, trusting Nolan and Stiles to make the play.. “What was that about?”

“I’m not about to let him check you, am I?” Theo shoots back.

Liam frowns. “Dude, I know you said you have my back, but you know I can handle Reaves, yeah?”

Theo says nothing. Reaves is skating towards them and Theo’s shoulders tense. Liam ignores Reaves, eyes only for Theo.

Right now, he can’t be Theo’s friend. He has to be his captain. “Raeken,” he says sharply. “Do I need to bench you?”

Theo’s eyes immediately snap to his. His face does something weird, scrunching up in a way that make Liam’s stomach fall to his feet. 

His jaw clenches. “Sorry captain,” he grits out. He skates off before Reaves gets to them. It’s a diversion anyway. Karlsson has stolen the puck from Stiles and is racing towards them. Liam pushes off from the wall and dodges Reaves easily, intent on the intercept.

Karlsson sees him coming and passes off, scowling at him. Clearly he had been wanting to take advantage of Liam’s distraction.

Nolan streaks past, stealing the puck and making his way towards the goal. He has Liam on one side and Stiles on the other, and the three of them circle the goal like sharks, passing back and forth, firing off shot after shot. They’re unlucky not to get the goal. Their press has completely befuddled the goalie, and Stiles has an open shot that flies too far left, missing the completely clear right side of the net.

Goal practice, Liam notes with a scowl. 

There’s another missed shot in the dying minutes of the first period. Liam draws the defense to him, waiting until the last possible moment to flick the pass to Nolan. Fleury literally does the splits to block the shot, and the puck is scooped up before Liam has a chance to even get around the goal.

The siren sounds, signalling the end of the first period, and Liam glances up at the score. Two goals to one. It’s not where they wanted to be, but it’s not terrible either.

Coach berates them for their sloppy play and sends them back out. 

The second period is a hard slog. The play goes back and forth with no real result for either side. Liam is getting frustrated. It feels like every time he manages to get the puck, he has two defenders diving at him. They're double teaming him, and he’s basically helpless. Any time he tries to get past them, he gets crunched between two bodies, and he can feel his vision going dark around the edges.

It’s Theo who checks him this time. “Captain?”

“Get them off me,” he says, voice rough with anger. “Or I will.”

Theo nods. “Got it.”

With Theo’s help, Liam is able to get free. One defender stays on his tail, but Theo keeps the other one busy. It’s enough to give them a one-man advantage around the net, and Liam accepts a pass from Garrett, rocketing it to the other side of the ice at Nolan. One more flick to Stiles who chips it towards goal. Liam races towards it, his stick held out in front of him. It tips the puck, diverting it straight past Fleury’s outstretched leg and into the goal.

He’s immediately surrounded by players. There’s determination in their eyes now.

“We’re winning now,” Liam says firmly. “No scores. No shots at goal unless it’s wide open. Got me?”

They all nod.

Theo, Brett and Garrett play their hearts out in defense. They dive on every pass, tackle hard and don’t give Vegas an inch of space to move. Liam helps, leaving Nolan and Stiles to tease towards their goal, dancing and weaving the puck between them as they circle the rink. 

Vegas is soon frustrated with this style of play, and Liam smirks. He wants them rattled. Unfocused. That’s how they’re gonna win.

“Better,” Coach says at the end of the period. “Not good, but better. Give them hell out there.”

And they do. 

Vegas scores one more goal, but that’s all they get. Liam almost feels sorry for them. Each and every player is going to be sore tomorrow, including Fleury, who gets bowled over by one of his own teammates, letting in an easy goal from Stiles.

Another late goal by Nolan seals the deal, and Liam laps the rink, arms lifted in triumph. The crowd jeers, and he gives them a mock salute, joining the team on the sidelines.

“Did that feel good?” Stiles asks him, shaking his head with a wry grin.

Liam winks. “You know it did.”

They’re bundled back to the locker room, given the usual post game chat and then Derek is tapping him on the shoulder.

“Media room,” he says.

Liam sighs but nods, following him and sitting beside Coach. They’re both questioned for fifteen minutes, and Liam smiles and gives the right answers again. They all want to know what he thinks about being the captain and how it’s all going, blah blah blah.

When it’s over, he politely thanks the reporters and follows Coach out of the room. He stops him with a hand on his shoulder.

“You did good out there,” Coach says with an uncharacteristic seriousness.

“It was only two goals,” Liam shrugs, looking at him in confusion.

Coach waves him off. “Not that,” he says impatiently. “With Raeken. That’s why I chose you. I knew you could handle it.”

“Oh,” Liam says, his stomach sinking again as he remembers how Theo had looked at him. “Yeah, thanks, I guess.”

“On that rink, you’re captain first,” Coach tells him, squeezing his shoulder. “He understands that.”

Liam nods, throat tight. Coach leaves him and he follows more slowly, now dreading talking to Theo. He’d already seemed pissed at Liam. Now he probably hates him.

He gets back to the locker room, but Theo is already gone. With a sigh, he hits the showers.

\---

Liam returns to the hotel and packs up his belongings. Theo’s stuff is already gone, and when Liam makes his way back to the team bus, he’s sitting next to Garrett with his headphones on, staring out the window. Liam chews on his bottom lip, hesitating by the door.

He knows Theo can feel his eyes on him, but he doesn’t look over. With a sigh, he slinks to the back of the bus and flops down in a spare seat, heart racing and making him feel dizzy and nauseous. 

Bus rides normally go quickly. This one drags on forever, and Liam does nothing but stare at the back of Theo’s head. At one point, Brett leans over the back of his seat. “Trouble in paradise?” He murmurs.

Blood rushes in Liam’s ears. He turns his head, glaring at him. “Get fucked,” he says harshly.

Brett raises his hands and backs off, and for once he isn’t smirking. He actually looks concerned, but Liam doesn’t care about that right now.

He’s ruined everything. Theo doesn’t even want to look at him.

At the airport, the reporters are blissfully nowhere to be seen. Clearly, they got their fill at the game.

Liam walks ahead of the others, checking in straight away and going to the boarding area. He’s not in the mood for socialising. He’s far too busy panicking.

He’s one of the first one’s on the plane and he sets himself up. Theo will have to sit next to him, surely. His seat is next to his.

But it’s Nolan who sits next to him, offering him a pained smile. “Sorry, dude,” he says.

Liam just nods, his throat going tight and making it impossible to speak. This hurts. This hurts even more than Scott leaving. He’s lost his best friend.

There’s no escaping this feeling. No amount of running or pumping weights or swimming or anything is going to fix this. That only works when he’s angry, and that’s not what he’s feeling right now. It’s more like terror, like the blind panic that nothing will ever be okay again. He’s never even considered that Theo would pull away from him like this. He can’t handle the cold shoulder. He pulls out his phone every few seconds, checking every social he has to make sure Theo hasn’t texted him.

It’s the worst thing he’s ever felt, the sickening fear that his friendship with Theo is gone over some stupid game.

The plane touches down, and Liam closes his eyes for a moment, trying to gather himself. He feels like he’s on the verge of a panic attack or something, but he doesn’t want to lose it in public with everyone around. He needs to hold it together until he gets home.

There’s one moment when they’re collecting their bags that Theo looks at Liam. His eyes sweep over Liam’s face. He bites on his lip and Liam has to turn away at the stricken expression Theo has. He needs to get home, now.

He charges straight outside into the parking bay where he left his car on the day before and climbs in, starting it up. Liam feels his lower lip wobble, but squeezes his fingers around the steering wheel. Not yet, not yet.

The drive home is a blur. Somehow, he gets to his driveway without crashing or hitting anything and he leaves all of his stuff in the car, instead stumbling inside and falling onto his knees in the hallway. He sobs, and just like that, it's like he can’t stop. He wails and hiccups and cries his heart out, letting out the bone-deep terror that has followed him since the game. It feels like he can’t stop, and he drags himself to his bed, burying his face in his pillow and letting it smother the pained noises coming from deep in his chest.

It takes a long time for him to let out the emotion. When he does, he feels numb and depressed, staring at the far wall of his room unseeingly. 

Hours pass. Liam wallows in self-pity, counting the cracks in the brick wall and generally feeling sorry for himself. He’s bled most of the despair, and now he just feels lonely. Life without Theo in it is just unimaginable.

His phone pings. Liam lifts his head slightly, blearily looking around his room. It pings again, and he spots it down the end of the bed. It must have fallen out of his pocket when he got into the bed. He sighs deeply, trying to summon the strength to grab it.

Sadly, it doesn’t magically appear in his hand, no matter how hard he stares at it, so Liam gives an exaggerated huff, sitting up and reaching forward to grab it. He picks it up, immediately freezing as he sees who it’s from.

_Theo._

He unlocks his phone, scanning the message. Relief makes him fall back onto the bed, holding his phone against his chest. Theo doesn’t hate him, thank god.

He feels a bit silly for overreacting so much, reading through the messages again. Theo clearly feels bad for the way he’d reacted, asking for forgiveness. Liam considers telling him everything was fine, but he knows it isn’t. His strong reaction to Theo ghosting him showed that they had some things to discuss.

Liam sends a message back and waits for the reply, watching the three dots appear and reappear on the screen. He holds his breath, staring at the screen until his eyes water.

At Theo’s response, he smiles a bit sadly. It feels like they’re in a better place, but they still need to talk in person. It looks like they both have things they want to raise, and Liam is more than happy to hear Theo out. This friendship means so much to him, and Liam will never put that in jeopardy again.

The conversation slowly changes, becoming lighter in nature, and Liam raises his eyebrows at a particularly flirty snapchat from the other man.

He flushes a little, his teeth worrying at his lower lip. What on earth did that mean?

Liam has no idea how to respond to that at all, so instead screws up his face and takes a snapchat, quickly firing it off to Theo.

Even though he’s confused, he still laughs at Theo’s instantaneous response.

He shoots back another frowny face and sighs, leaning back against his pillows. All of a sudden, the events of the day are catching up to him, and his eyes feel like lead. He hears his phone ping again but it’s distant, and he closes his eyes, rolling away from where he’d set it down, already most of the way asleep.

\---

Things after that are different between them. They both make an effort to be more open with each other, and that leads to many situations where Liam is left blinking, staring at a text or a snapchat and shifting in his seat and wondering if Theo is trying to kill him.

As if thinking about him is enough to summon him, Liam’s phone gives a loud buzz on the table, drawing his attention away from the game on the enormous television that practically dominates an entire wall of his lounge room. Picking it up, he unlocks it and smiles at the instagram notification. It’s from Theo, who is working out, again. It already has over a thousand likes on it. He rolls his eyes but watches the ten second clip a few times over, eyes lingering on the thick, powerful shoulders bunching and moving as Theo pulls the red resistance bands towards himself. 

“Fuck,” he whispers, tapping like on the post. He considers for a moment before typing a quick comment. He knows Theo will get a kick out of it. 

Theo loves posting these types of photos and videos. He thinks the amount of people that swoon over his chest is hilarious, and it gets him more followers than anyone else on the team. Liam personally doesn’t care how many followers he has compared to Theo, but he knows it pisses off Brett. But he supposes that’s part of the fun too. Theo loves the thirsty fans drooling over him almost as much as he loves the disgusted looks Brett shoots him when his follower count surges high above his.

Brett’s just as bad, of course. But even though he has an eight pack going on, he’s lanky and thin. There’s something about how thick Theo is that gets the girls, and boys (Liam included), all hot and bothered.

He watches it one last time before deliberately placing his phone back down. It’s harder now to concentrate on the game, but he needs to scope their competition. The game is between Nashville and Colorado, who have both been playing well this season. They’ll need to be on their A game to defeat either of them.

Not even a minute later, his phone buzzes again. He tries to ignore it, but it buzzes again a moment later, and then again. With a groan, he picks it up and unlocks it. Three snapchat notifications. Theo again.

His heart leaps as he opens the first image. God, how is it legal for Theo to look this hot? And why did he put a bloody shirt on? It sadly disappears after ten seconds and Liam pouts. He wishes he had the guts to screenshot it, but that would be far too obvious.

He clicks into the chat and laughs. This boy is beyond ridiculous. He types a quick reply, and within seconds Theo has read it and is typing back.

He sends back a thumbs up emoji and locks down his phone again. He jumps to his feet, immediately heading for the kitchen. If Theo is coming over, especially after just doing a workout, he needs to start making some food. 

Theo lets himself in the front door, and Liam continues to chop up the ingredients for his infamous chilli con carne. He feels the other man’s proximity as he leans over his shoulder to examine what he’s doing.

“Chilli?” Theo asks hopefully.

His body is warm against Liam’s back. It takes everything in him not to lean into it.

“You betcha,” he replies, glancing back at him.

Theo smiles. Inwardly, Liam dies a little. His hair is damp and falling into his eyes and he has that freshly showered smell. He wonders if Theo has any clue how much he wants him.

The smile turns a little mischievous, and Liam isn’t able to stop Theo in time before he reaches around and snags a piece of bell pepper.

“You little shit,” he scolds, smacking Theo’s hand away as he tries to reach around the other side and grab another one. He turns in the circle of Theo’s arms, putting a hand on his chest as if to shove him back. Theo just smirks at him and Liam stares as he sticks the bell pepper in his mouth, crunching down on it. For a moment, Theo seems to sway closer, their chests brushing with only Liam’s hand between them.

And then he swipes another piece of bell pepper and steps back, already laughing as Liam grabs the tea towel to flick at him.

His heart is racing, even as he chases Theo around the kitchen and they both laugh.

It’s a fucking bell pepper. Nothing about that should be hot.

But it’s the way Theo teases him, the way he moves around him, the way Liam notices him watching him all the time. It feels like Theo is circling him, getting closer and closer each time. It’s driving him crazy.

At least he thinks that’s what’s going on. God, maybe he’s just being friendly and Liam is reading too much into it.

He manages to chase him off with a sizeable platter of cheese, salami and biscuits but he knows that won’t hold him for long.

“You’re missing the game,” Theo calls from the lounge room.

“Nearly done,” he yells back. Pretty much everything is in the pan now, simmering away. He’ll need to come and stir it every now and again, but otherwise, it’s smelling divine. His own stomach rumbles, reminding him that breakfast was a far too distant memory. “You better have left me some biscuits,” he grumbles as he walks down the hallway.

“I do have some manners,” Theo says as he glances back at him. Emphasis on the some.

“Sure,” Liam says with a smirk, plopping down beside him and swiping a biscuit off the platter Theo offers him. Theo gives an offended sniff, pulling the platter away before Liam can grab some cheese as well. “Hey,” he protests, leaning over him to try and grab it.

Theo’s lips turn up into a sly grin as he holds it back further. Before he’s even realised what has happened, he’s practically in Theo’s lap, trying to reach the snacks.

He freezes for a second, feeling Theo watching him. He’s not sure if he’s brave enough to look down. Disgust? Longing? Indifference? What would he see shining in Theo’s eyes?

Theo goes still as well, and Liam reacts on instinct, leaning in closer to Theo, their chests pressing together. Theo gives a stuttering breath and Liam grabs the plate from his hand, immediately retreating with his prize.

He pointedly looks at the television as he stuffs a piece of salami in his mouth.

For almost a minute, he can feel Theo watching him, and the urge to meet his eyes makes his hands shake a little. But eventually he looks away, and Liam stares straight ahead, seeing nothing of the game. 

They’re both quiet, and Liam darts a glance towards Theo, finding him staring down and biting at his lip. His shoulders are hunched forward, and Liam’s heart sinks a little. Theo looks unsure, like he wants to speak, but Liam jumps to his feet before Theo can open his mouth and let him down gently. He’s not ready to hear those damning words.

“Gotta check on the chilli,” he says with false cheer, setting the platter down next to Theo. He’s barely touched it.

He does stir the chilli, but then he leans back against the kitchen counter, rubbing his hands over his face and trying to hold in his groan of frustration. Why do things have to be so weird between them? Why can’t he just have his shit together?

Liam grabs two sodas from the fridge, returning to the lounge room and passing one to Theo as he sits back down. Theo shoots him a quizzical look, and Liam gives him an easy smile. Everything is fine, it says.

Theo’s lips quirk up, though Liam can still see a hint of frustration in his eyes.

“Who’s up?” He asks. It’s commercial break, so he can’t see the score.

“They’re even,” Theo tells him. “Donskoi scored a late goal. The Predator defense is crumbling, so Avs should get this easy in the third.”

Liam hums thoughtfully, watching as the commercial break ends and the commentators start analysing the game so far. He watches the highlights reel carefully, noticing the same things that Theo had. 

“You’re right,” he agrees. Theo smiles at him, and Liam tries to ignore the way his heart flutters in response.

He has to get up again part way through the third to stir the chilli again. It’s smelling incredible and his mouth waters as he pulls a small spoon out of a drawer, dipping it into the sauce and gently blowing on it.

Theo magically appears behind him and Liam turns, offering him the spoon. He guides it to Theo’s mouth, inwardly swearing as Theo holds his gaze, taking the sauce from the spoon and licking his lips.

“It’s good,” he says, his voice low. 

These fucking mixed signals are going to be the death of him.

“Yeah?” He asks brightly. He rinses the spoon and then tries some himself, frowning as he turns to the spice cupboard. It’s missing something, and he adds a bit of this and that, stirring in the various spices and tasting it again. “Here, try that,” he says, smirking as he offers Theo another spoonful.

Theo lets him feed it to him again, and his eyes widen. 

“It’s better than good,” Liam tells him with a cocky smile, pulling the spoon from his lips. Theo just nods, licking his lips again.

“Is it ready now?” Theo asks impatiently.

Liam rolls his eyes. “Not quite. Go watch the rest of the game. It’ll be ready once it’s over.”

Theo reluctantly leaves and Liam moves around the kitchen, grabbing the last few necessary ingredients. You can’t have chilli without garlic bread, so he makes some and places it in the oven, making sure to load it with heaps of cheese.

After that, it’s just a matter of dishing it up with huge piles of sour cream, garlic bread on the side, and of course a nice bottle of red wine. Maybe it’s a bit early in the day, but Liam can’t bring himself to care. 

Theo clearly doesn’t mind either, accepting a glass from him when Liam finally calls him to the table.

They both sit down, and Liam is struck suddenly by how romantic this. He might as well have put a candle on the table.

“This is nice,” Theo says, smiling at him and raising his glass. Liam gently clinks his glass against Theo’s, fighting down the blush.

“It is,” he agreed, dropping his gaze. He can’t help but watch though as Theo takes the first bite of his food. His eyes close and flutter, a groan of satisfaction making Liam jump, his gaze sharpening. 

Hasn’t he suffered enough? Is it not enough that Theo looks the way he does? Now Liam has to hear him moan as well?

He grabs a piece of garlic bread, tearing it into smaller pieces that he uses to scoop up the chilli. Theo is watching him now, and Liam can’t help but feel triumphant when he gives his own moan and Theo’s eyes widen slightly.

Two can play at this game.

Theo looks down, but Liam can see the smile hovering on his lips. He watches through his lashes as Theo scoops up more chilli, pursing his lips to blow on it and then tipping it into his mouth. God, he has sour cream on his lip, and Liam’s brain stalls as Theo licks it away.

He has to blink a few times, turning to his own meal to push down the lewd thoughts from his mind.

They eat their food, and Liam distracts himself by pointing out something he’d noticed during the game. Next thing he knew, they were in a deep discussion about defence tactics and strategies and the food and wine were gone. Theo’s smile flashed often, and Liam drank it in, feeling like the flower turning towards the sun and basking in its rays. Theo was radiant.

It feels good too, to watch him enjoying the food he’s prepared. To know that Theo looks that happy because his belly is full and he’s in good company. It’s so easy to imagine a million more meals like this, to see Theo sitting at his table every day.

It’s just a dream, one that makes Liam a bit misty eyed. If Theo notices, he doesn’t draw attention to it, but he does shoot Liam a quizzical look.

Liam just smiles, leaning back in his chair and enjoying the moment. 

\---

Liam is settling into his role as captain, and the rest of the team is falling in line, now accepting his leadership. Brett still grumbles on occasion, but he wouldn’t be Brett if he wasn’t bucking against authority every now and again. Over the past few weeks, Liam had taken time to pull each of them aside, one by one, to let them know what he expects of them, to answer their questions, to show them that he was taking his responsibilities seriously. 

Only Theo remains.

He’s been struggling to think of what to say to him, mainly because there’s this thing between them that he can’t quite put a name to. It’s so difficult to toe the line between captain and friend, and maybe more.

He can’t put it off any longer.

“Want to work out tomorrow?” Liam asks Theo casually, clapping him on the shoulder. They’re in the locker room after a long practice session, and Liam can feel the sweat on Theo’s skin, smell the sharp tang of male. Theo turns towards him, giving him an easy smile.

“Sure,” he agrees. “The usual time?”

Nolan shoots Liam a confused look from behind Theo, which he ignores. He doesn’t care what the others think of their relationship or lack thereof.

“Perfect,” he says.

At Theo’s nod, he leaves to hit the showers. 

His body is aching from the gruelling practice session. He knows why Coach is pushing them so hard, though he’s reluctant to even think about it in his own head. But it looms, big and terrifying, darkening the edges of his mind. It’s less than a fortnight now until the big game. Dallas.

Liam steps under the water, staring intently at the tiles as he tries to push aside his thoughts. He’s under enough pressure as it is. He doesn’t need to dwell on what it will be like facing Scott on the wrong side of the ice.

Instead, he can’t help but think about Theo. Theo, Theo, Theo. It’s always Theo. When he wakes up, Liam’s first thought is of him, and when he goes to sleep, he can’t help but think of their almost kiss, about what might have happened if he’d been brave enough to close the distance between them. His dreams have been hot and heavy of late.

He has to push those thoughts aside as well, before they can start an embarrassing situation in the locker room. None of them would ever let him live it down if he got hard in the showers.

Liam showers quickly, thinking instead of what he’s going to say to Theo. There needs to be a boundary of some kind, that had been made clear from that very first game. Nothing’s gone quite as far as that since, but they still need to talk about what happened. They need to find a balance. A professional relationship that’s outside of their friendship or-

Or whatever they are.

He frowns, deep in thought, missing when the locker room clears out and he’s left alone. It’s a surprise to him when he turns off the shower and finds only silence.

Liam dries off quickly and dresses, moving quickly from the room. There’s something about the empty locker room that makes him feel paranoid, panicked. It’s too silent, too eerie.

He practically bursts outside, paranoia making him immediately scan the shadows for any hint of a threat.

There’s nothing, but he can’t shake that feeling that something is stalking him. He’s never done well on his own, but he’s never told anyone about that, well, apart from-

“Hey,” Theo called out. Liam’s head jolts up, mouth falling open slightly as he sees Theo waving at him from the car park. “Liam, over here.”

Something in his stomach settles, even as his heart flips and turns warm.

He’d remembered.

He forces himself to be slow, casual as he walks towards Theo, but the other man’s eyes are knowing when he stops in front of him. Liam sticks his trembling hands into the pocket of his hoodie, acknowledging him with a tight lipped smile.

“Thanks,” he says quietly.

“It’s fine,” Theo says, his voice gentle. “I didn’t realise that I was the last one left until I’d made it to my car and saw that everyone else had left. I hope it’s okay that I waited out here.”

Liam nods, and he looks at Theo, really looks at him.

Two years ago. It was two years ago that he’d confessed to Theo while they were both drunk at one of Stiles’ house parties that his greatest fear was being locked inside somewhere. He’s always been a bit claustrophobic, and the thought of not being able to get out and breathe fresh air makes him panic. It’s irrational, he knows. He could call someone, or the security alarm would be set off, or someone would hear him yelling, but Liam’s always made sure that he’s never the last one in the locker room, just to be sure.

And Theo had remembered.

“Yeah,” he says, his throat closing over. He can’t believe that Theo’s held onto that piece of information about him, and cared enough to stay for him. It’s earth shattering. “I,” he cleared his throat, embarrassed now, “thank you, Theo.”

Theo smiles at him, eyes dropping a little, like he’s suddenly gone shy. “You’re welcome,” he mumbles. God, they’re both so bad at this stuff. “See you in the morning.”

Liam nods. “ Night.”

Theo looks up at him, those eyes that flicker somewhere between blue and green piercing into his soul. Liam freezes a little at the depth of emotion he sees there, though it’s only for a second, brief enough that he wonders if he’d imagined it. Theo blinks and breaks the spell, reaching over to grip his shoulder for a second before he’s turning away and unlocking his car. 

He waits for Liam to get into his own car before he starts his engine, and Liam watches him drive away, his heart hammering in his chest.

Giddiness makes him giggle as he grips his steering wheel, feeling half hysterical. What the fuck just happened? What are his emotions even doing? Why is he halfway in love with Theo Raeken?

His breath stutters from his mouth in another laugh, and he buries his face in the sleeve of his hoodie, sucking in a few deep breaths and trying to calm down. He can’t believe he’s saying that word, even if it’s in his own head. Love?

He shakes his head, slowly pushing himself upright and staring out his front window. Liam is attracted to Theo, definitely likes him, but until now, he hadn’t realised quite how deep his emotions ran.

But if he loves Theo, then that means he needs to do something about it. He’s never been the sort of person to hide the way he feels when it really matters and he’s not about to start now. One thing he’d always refused to do is to be ashamed of who he’s attracted to. It’s a complication, but one that Liam welcomes. 

Theo is thoughtful, and kind and charming, and Liam has always felt drawn to him, even long before he admitted in his mind that he finds him attractive. And from the way Theo looks at him, he’s pretty sure that he’s at least attracted to him as well.

Liam bites at his lower lip, worrying at it with his teeth. Maybe they’d be talking about more than just their professional relationship in the morning.

He starts his car, realising that he probably looks crazy just sitting in his car and staring at nothing. He drives home, mind churning, hope stirring in his chest.

When he gets home, he goes through the motion. Heat up some food and eat it. Brush his teeth. Strip off his clothes and throw them in the hamper. Put his phone on the charger.

He glances at his dresser, but decides against putting on some sleep shorts. He doesn’t always sleep naked, but sometimes he likes to burrow under the blankets and feel them against his skin. Tonight is one of those nights.

For a long time, Liam stares up at the ceiling, lost in his thoughts.

Next thing he knows, he’s fighting past the deep veil of sleep as his phone dings repeatedly. With a muttered curse, he rolls to the side and reaches for it without opening his eyes. A few slaps around the bedside table and he finds it, unlocking it and looking blearily at the screen. 

It takes a long minute for his eyes to focus on what’s in front of him.

A snapchat. Of Theo. In bed.

His heart pounds in his chest, his eyes opening just a millimeter wider so he can take in the whole view. He licks his lips absent-mindedly as his gaze moves down his arm to the hint of chest he can see. It’s so easy to imagine himself nuzzled in there, hiding his face in Theo’s neck as he presses slow kisses up the side.

Liam’s rolls onto his stomach, blinking a few times to try and wake up a bit. Eventually his eyes focus enough to see that Athena is latched onto Theo’s hand. He reads the caption and smiles. God, he’s such a goofball.

The second snapchat is just as adorable, and Liam’s smile turns fond. He knows that Theo misses Athena a lot when they play away. She stays with his sister most of the time, and for all his complaining, he’d be loving having her crawling all over him. 

There’s something about this whole situation that feels domestic, and Liam feels his heart rising up in his throat, swelling with emotion. 

The final snapchat makes him sigh with longing, so sharp that his fingers ache with it. He wants to trace them over the rough fuzz of facial hair on his jaw, wants to bury them in his hair and pull him closer, wants to taste the hint of a smile at the corner of his lips.

He wants it so badly he feels overwhelmed with it.

A good morning indeed.

He presses reply and blinks at his camera a few times. He’s still half asleep, and he’s pretty sure the picture he takes is blurry, but he sends it anyway. 

Liam adds a caption, and then another, sending it off without thinking about it. He lets his phone drop onto the pillow beside his head, rolling onto his side to look at it.

He’s so comfortable, and definitely drifts off again. A loud noise wakes him, and it takes him an embarrassingly long time to realise that his phone is ringing.

It’s Theo, and he answers it. He doesn’t speak, but closes his eyes again, listening as he hears Theo take a deep breath.

“You look really tired,” Theo says eventually, when it’s clear Liam has no intention of greeting him.

He hums in the affirmative, tucking the phone against his cheek.

“We don’t have to work out if you don’t want to,” Theo suggests.

“S’fine,” Liam mumbles. “I’ll be there.” Even in his befuddled state, he knows this conversation is important, and it can’t be postponed any longer.

“You sure?” Theo asks him.

He hums again, and Theo chuckles. Liam feels it in his bones and shivers. He wishes Theo were here right now, right in front of him. He wants to feel his laughter against his skin, wants to melt into him and be wrapped in those ridiculous arms.

“You sound so cute right now,” Theo teased him. “Sleepy little cupcake.”

“Fuck off,” he grumbles. “M’not cute.” 

“Adorable then?” Theo asks. Liam can hear the laughter in his voice, and smiles despite himself.

“No,” he says firmly.

“Handsome?”

He scoffs.

“Pretty?” Theo purrs into the phone. Liam’s heart stops. There’s something about Theo calling him pretty that sends his whole brain into a meltdown. He inhales sharply, and the other end of the line goes silent. “Pretty it is,” Theo says eventually, his tone suspiciously light and casual. “Pretty Liam.”

He groans, burying his face in his pillow, and Theo laughs at him again. He’s very glad all of a sudden that Theo is far away in his own bed and can’t see how red his face is. Or how naked he is. Or how hard he is.

“Alright Sleeping Beauty,” Theo says. “I’ll see you later then.”

“Yeah yeah,” he mutters. 

He hangs up, hand shaking slightly as he puts his phone back down on the bedside table.

Is it not enough that he attacked Liam with his stupid face? Why must he also assault him with that deep, gravelly voice of his as well? And then the compliments?

It’s official. Theo Raeken is trying to kill him.

\---

A few hours later, Liam drags himself out of the shower and gets ready to go to the gym. He makes a pre-workout smoothie with his eyes half-closed, feet dragging reluctantly.

He hadn’t given into the temptation to touch himself. Instead he had fallen into a restless sleep, dreams filled with breathy moans and skin sliding. Only a cold shower when he had woken up had helped to ease the heat firing in his blood.

But it’s made him grumpy, and he feels like there’s a storm cloud hanging over his head as he locks the door behind him and stomps to his car.

Theo takes one look at his face and wisely leaves him be. Liam feels a twinge of guilt, but he knows he’s not fit company at the moment. Not until he’s gone for a run anyway. 

One foot in front of the other, that’s all there is room for in his head as he increases his pace on the treadmill. 

Sweat slides down the back of his neck as he pumps his legs in an endless rhythm. Loud, angry music screams into his ears, the base making his heart beat faster. He’s a machine, mindless as his body moves past the pain threshold. Only then does he slow down a bit, taking longer steps, his body moving smoothly through the motions. He could run for an hour like this, eyes fixed on the trees he can see through the window, watching them swaying in the wind.

By the time he starts to get tired, Theo has moved onto the weights, and Liam walks for a while to cool down, watching him in the reflection of the mirror. His eyes linger on the way his muscles ripple with every pump of the bar. A quick glance tells him that Theo is benching more than Liam himself weighs, and his mouth runs dry. He’s so strong.

Liam turns the treadmill off, wiping down his face and arms with his gym towel. He moves towards Theo, placing his own weights on the bench beside him as he waits for him to finish his rep. 

Theo puts the bar back in place and sits up, taking a long slug from his water bottle before turning to Liam. He scans his face. “Better?” Theo asks.

He nods. “Sorry,” he offers. “I didn’t sleep well.”

Theo grimaces at that. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called you so early.”

“Oh no,” Liam says, raising a hand to stop that thought in its tracks. “That wasn’t it at all. I just have a lot on my mind at the moment.”

“True,” Theo concedes. He pauses a moment, like he’s gathering his courage to speak. “How are you doing with all of it?” He asks hesitantly. “Scott, the captainship, everything?”

Liam sighs, running his hand over his face. “Better than I was,” he admits. “Talking about it with everyone has helped.”

Theo’s face shutters. “Everyone but me,” he says quietly.

Liam looks at him, arching an eyebrow. “You know it’s not like that,” he chides gently.

“Do I?” Theo asks. He sounds frustrated as his eyes search Liam’s face. “Sometimes it seems like that, but you’re so damned closed off Liam. For every tiny step forward it feels like there’s two giant ones back.”

He blinks a few times, Theo’s words rocking him. “I’m sorry,” he says automatically, feeling stricken.

Theo continues, as if he hadn’t spoken. “You even talked to Brett,” he says. “Brett! You hate Brett.”

“I don’t hate him exactly-”

“You don’t like him either,” Theo snaps. 

They’re drawing attention, and Liam shrinks in a little bit. Theo notices immediately and sighs. He pinches the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Theo says in a quieter voice. “I guess this has been affecting me more than I thought.”

“Yeah,” Liam says. “I can see that. I’m really sorry I made you feel like I don’t value our friendship, or that I prioritise other people in the team over you. I can promise you that it’s not true.”

Theo just looks at him, and Liam squares his shoulders a bit, turning so that he’s facing Theo, giving him his undivided attention.

“Look,” he says firmly, “I didn’t talk to you first because I know you’ve got my back. Out of everyone in the team, I know I can trust you to do the right thing and have your head screwed on right. I also knew that out of everyone, you’d follow my lead without question.”

“That’s true,” Theo concedes, biting on his lip. He still looks unsure though, his expression pinched.

“That being said,” Liam continues with a sigh, “I’m conscious of not putting too much on you, Theo. I’ve been a mess recently, and you’ve already had to deal with so much of that. I don’t want to burden you.”

Theo frowns. “Sharing your troubles isn’t a burden, Liam. It’s what friends do.”

Friends. Liam swallows thickly, trying not to read too much into it.

“And you’re a great friend,” he responds. “An excellent one, actually. I’m the one who’s a lousy friend.”

“No you’re not,” Theo immediately disagrees.

“Well I’m not great,” Liam sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. Theo scoffs but Liam ignores it. “And I’m really sorry I upset you. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about all this for awhile now, but everything’s just been so hectic.”

The scowl on Theo’s face slowly fades. They look at each other, and it’s only now that Liam notices the dark rings under Theo’s eyes. It doesn’t look like he’s been sleeping well either.

“I get it,” Theo says. “I’m still here though, if you want to talk about any of it.”

“Thank you,” Liam says with genuine gratitude. He’s always known that. Theo’s the most reliable and trustworthy person he knows. “I promise I will take you up on that. But I want to talk about something else right now.”

“What?” Theo asks, frowning slightly.

“Our first game,” Liam says.

Theo’s face tightens, his posture turning defensive. Liam holds up a hand to forestall any interruption. “I wanted to apologise,” he says.

Theo looks surprised. “For what?”

“For not explaining before the game,” Liam says seriously. “Coach and I had quite a few talks leading up to the game about his expectations of me as captain. Sometimes I have to be a hardass out there, and ask the tough questions and demand better from you guys. Sometimes I can’t be a friend.”

“I know that,” Theo says dismissively.

“Maybe in your head you do,” Liam agrees, “but not in your heart. I think I find it hardest with you, as well, because we’re so close, to flip that switch between friend and captain. It’s something we’ve both going to have to work on.”

Theo nods slowly. “You’re right,” he says with a grimace, looking down at his hands. “I guess it did surprise me, and I did resent you a bit.”

“I don’t blame you,” Liam says. “I was pretty harsh, but I had to be. It certainly didn’t make me think any less of you, either as a teammate or a friend.”

Theo searches his face, looking thoughtful. “So what you’re saying is that it’s not personal when we’re on the ice?”

He nods. “Yeah, strictly professional. Teammates.”

“Okay,” Theo says, his expression clearing. “I think I can live with that.”

Something in Liam’s chest releases. Theo doesn’t look pissed. Instead, he actually looks relieved. 

“Good,” he says. “Now, let’s finish this workout. I want to earn the huge meal I plan on ordering after this.”

Theo chuckles, shaking his head with a grin on his face.

Liam just smirks at him, lying back on the bench and stretching his arms above his head to grip the bar. He pulls it to this chest and then pushes up. One.

They work out in comfortable silence. Liam feels a lot more at ease now that that conversation is behind them, so it’s much easier to lose himself in the routine of pumping weights. It’s less about pushing past the emotional baggage and more about conditioning his body, so by the time he finishes, he feels like he’s in a much better place mentally.

He smiles at Theo as he finishes as well, and they stand alongside each other for a few moments, drinking from their water bottles.

“Ready to get out of here?” Theo asks him.

Liam nods, and they move to the locker room to shower.

That’s when the trouble starts. Liam undresses and steps under the shower, and Theo steps into the spray of the one alongside him. One little glance at him is all it takes for Liam’s body to react.

Fuck, he looks so good. Liam’s eyes linger on his chest, the dark hair there sticking to his skin as rivulets run down his body. He licks his lips, fantasizing about chasing them with his tongue. His cock twitches with interest, and it’s only then that Liam realises that they’re in public, and that Theo is only one rinse of his hair away from realising that Liam is fully checking him out and getting an erection.

He closes his eyes and turns away, dunking his head under the water to drown out everything, taking shuddering breaths as he tries to think of everything apart from the beautiful naked man standing alongside him.

Close enough to touch. Close enough that Liam could fist his hand in those damp curls and tug. Close enough that Liam could shove him against the tiles and claim his mouth.

Liam curses quietly. He really should have jerked off this morning. 

“You trying to drown yourself?” Theo asks, sounding amused.

He turns his head slightly to look at him, pushing his hair out of his face and stepping back slightly. He’s pretty sure it’s not his imagination that Theo’s eyes flick down and up, and that doesn’t help his situation in the least.

“Something like that,” Liam says ruefully, cheeks heating up. 

Theo smirks at him and turns off his shower, walking away, and Liam is left with the rather distressing choice of turning the shower water cold, or turning and walking over to his towel with a hard on in a room full of dudes and the guy he’s in love with.

He grips the tap with a sigh. Not much of a choice at all.

Cold water douses him for the second time in one day, and he grits his teeth, shuddering as the spray hits his cock. 

The second his erection is gone, Liam turns off the spray of water, taking deep breaths.

He makes his way to his stuff and towels off. He glances at Theo, who leans back against the locker behind him, eyes shining with mischief. Liam just shoots a scowl at him, more embarrassed than anything else. Why is it so easy for Theo to rile him up? He doesn’t even need to do anything and Liam’s panting after him like a dog in heat. He’s obsessed with the thought of touching him, kissing him, hearing every little sound he makes as Liam worships his body.

“Ready?” Theo asks impatiently.

Liam flushes again, towelling off faster. If he keeps following that train of thought, he’ll be right back where he started.

Dressing quickly, he then stuff all of his sweaty clothes into his gym bag along with his towel.

“Ready,” he says.

Theo rolls his eyes. “Finally.” There’s still a hint of a smirk turning up the corner of his lips though, so Liam knows he isn’t mad. Their shoulders knock together as they walk out of the gym, and Liam looks at him from the corner of his eye, heart fluttering.

It should be illegal to be so beautiful.

The yearning in his chest makes his fingers shake, and he clenches them together. He’s such a mess over this guy. If he doesn’t kiss him soon, he feels like he’s gonna explode.

He has to look away when Theo glances at him, hoping he doesn’t notice that Liam was just staring at him.

They both get into their own cars and Liam follows Theo to whatever restaurant he’s picked out. While Theo doesn’t mind cooking, he much prefers eating out, and he knows every good restaurant within a twenty mile radius of both of their places. He’s taken Liam to heaps of them, and Liam hasn’t had a bad meal yet. He has no idea how Theo eats as much as he does without ever putting on an inch of fat, but somehow he remains just as fit and toned as ever.

Liam pulls in behind his truck, peering at the sign of the restaurant. It’s a bit grimy, and he can’t quite make out the words, but the flashing neon burger underneath it is still easily seen. 

“What is this place?” Liam asks as he jumps out of the car.

Theo just smirks. “You’ll see.”

As they step through the front door, an older woman greets Theo with a warm smile. “Theodore,” she cheers, “so lovely to see you again.”

Theo murmurs a greeting, giving her his best charming smile. She swoons a little, and Liam bites back a chuckle. Theo has that effect on everyone, male or female, young or old. Just another reason Liam likes him. How friendly and kind and charming he is.

She ushers them to a booth tucked into the corner, handing them both menus. Liam sits down in the plush seat and melts into it with a sigh. The cover is a velvet of some kind, and he runs his hands over it. He knows that some people hate the sensation, but he’s always loved it. Theo has this one black jumper that’s made from velvet, and everytime he wears it, Liam’s fingers itch to touch.

Theo smirks at him. “Comfy?” He teases.

Liam just nods, giving him a soft smile. His bad mood from the morning is a thing of the past now. The chat with Theo had gone well, he’s about to eat some excellent food, if the smells wafting in from the kitchen are any indication, and he’s spending some quality time with the man he loves. What could be better than that?

“How did you find this place?” Liam asks.

“I actually came here once with Garrett,” Theo admits. “The woman you saw just before used to babysit him when he was a kid. He kept going on and on about how good her burgers are, and I bullied the address out of him.”

“Ahh,” Liam says, chuckling a bit. Theo could be very persuasive when he wanted to be. “And what did you offer him in return?”

Theo pouts. “He made me give him my sister’s number.”

Liam burst out laughing. Just the thought of Garrett and Tara is beyond ludicrous. “She’d eat him alive,” he wheezes.

Theo smirks. “She showed me the texts,” he says, looking satisfied. “It was brutal.”

“He’s such a flirt,” Liam replies, shaking his head. “Who was the chick on his arm last week?”

“Sonya?” Theo muses. “I think she’s a model or something, I’m not sure. I wasn’t paying much attention.”

“If only we could all get dates as easy as Garrett does,” Liam says with a sigh.

“Speak for yourself,” Theo mocks.

Liam raises an eyebrow. “You haven’t dated anyone the whole time I’ve known you,” he points out. Theo’s gaze drops, and Liam’s stomach drops. “Wait, have you?”

“No,” Theo says quietly. “I don’t really date.”

He blinks, a little confused. “Can I ask why? You could have anyone you wanted.”

Theo just shrugs helplessly. “I don’t want anyone.”

Liam frowns a little, and Theo’s eyes dart up and then away, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. A shy young waitress walks up to take their order, and they both order burgers, fries and a milkshake. She takes their menus with her, leaving them sitting in an awkward silence.

“What about you?” Theo ventures. “I don’t think you’ve been dating much either, right?”

“No, not since Hayden,” he admits.

Theo’s eyes flit back up, widening slightly. “Hayden?”

Liam rolls his eyes. “Yeah, she left me a few years back. Something to do with her sister. I think it was just an excuse.”

It had been a miserable time, a definite low point in his life. Hayden had been scared of his black tempers, though he’d never, not once, taken anything out on her. He’d always left when he felt an episode approaching, not coming back until he knew he was better. She resented him for not being open with her but he’d never wanted to put her in harm's way.

“Let’s not talk about her right now,” Liam says with a sigh. 

Theo nods, and now he looks a bit upset. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh no, don’t be,” Liam says. “I just meant that it was a long time ago now. And no, I haven’t really dated much since then. You know, with work we’re always so busy, and you have to be so careful now with social media and everything.”

“True,” Theo says quietly. “It’s hard.”

“Not that I would want to hide it, if I was with someone,” Liam says, biting his lower lip, trying to summon his courage. “I just think some things should be private, I guess.”

“For sure,” Theo agrees.

He’s staring down at his plate. 

“I, um,” Liam says, stammering a bit. “I’ve had feelings for someone for quite a while now, actually.”

Theo’s eyes widen. “Who? Do I know her?”

Her? Liam’s stomach sinks. Had he read things wrong after all?

“Uh, it’s not-”

“Well, well, the people you run into,” someone says from right next to them. Liam looks up, surprised to see Garrett and Brett standing over them. “This is cute,” Garrett continues, smirking down at them. “Out on a date?”

Theo flushes and sinks into his seat slightly, and Liam frowns. Suddenly, he’s wondering if the reason Theo often feels uncomfortable with the team is the amount of jokes they crack about them being a couple. 

“We’re just getting food after our work out, isn’t that right, Theo?” Liam says, resting his chin on his hand.

“Yep,” Theo says. Liam looks at him, seeing the pinched expression before it smoothes into a charming smile. “What are you two up to?” Theo continues. “Want to join us?”

Liam wants to protest. They were actually talking about feelings for once, and he’d been about to lay it on the line and confess how he feels.

But now the offer is there, and Liam can’t exactly rescind it without looking like an asshole.

“We’d love to,” Brett grins, plopping down next to Theo. Garrett slides in next to Liam, and they order and eat and chat, and the whole time, Liam is hyper conscious of Theo’s every micro-expression. He looks miserable, and Liam’s heart feels like lead in his chest. Something here has gone very wrong, and he has no idea what it is.

Theo takes off not long after their meal, stating that he’s to meet his sister, and the second the door closes behind him, Garrett and Brett turn on him.

“What was that about?” Garrett demands.

“Yeah, why did Raeken just look like you killed his cat?” Brett asks.

Liam just shrugs helplessly. He has no idea.

\---

He’s barely seen Theo in a week. Sure, they train together, but Theo disappears pretty much straight after, and whenever Liam shoots him a message to hang out, Theo’s busy. It stings a bit, and it’s confusing, too. He still has no idea what he’s done to upset Theo, and despite running over their conversation in his head multiple times, he still hasn’t been able to figure it out.

It’s making it hard for Liam to sleep, and he’s already on limited amounts of that. The big game is coming up, and Liam’s dreading it. He still has no idea how he’ll react to seeing Scott again.

He’s a mess, and Coach takes one look at him Tuesday night and snaps. “Right,” he says firmly, grabbing Liam’s shoulders and shoving him into his office. “Spill it Dunbar,” he demands.

Liam just shrugs. “I’m not sleeping very well.”

Coach snarls at him. “Clearly. Why?”

Normally that tone of voice would send him scurrying him into action. In his sleep deprived state, he can’t bring himself to care.

“Is it because of McCall?” Coach asks impatiently.

“That’s part of it, I guess,” Liam says with a sigh, falling into the seat in front of Coach’s desk, staring down at his hands.

“Raeken?” Coach pries.

Liam gives a hollow laugh. “Does everyone know about that?”

“Everyone with eyes,” Coach mutters. He stares at Liam a minute longer, before sitting down as well, pressing his fingers into his temples and closing his eyes. “You’re the captain, Liam. Every one of those guys out there are looking to you to lead them to victory, and you look like a sharp wind would knock you on your ass right now.”

“I know,” he says quietly, shoulders hunching in.

“Whatever this is,” Coach says, gesturing at his chest, “fix it. Go home, Dunbar. You’re stinking up my locker room with your negative energy.”

He nods, letting himself out and grabbing his bag. A few of the guys shoot him concerned looks but he just smiles at them. “Sick,” he says by way of explanation. They seem to accept that.

Liam opens the door and runs into a hard chest. The scent hits him and his knees actually quake before two hands help him stand upright.

“Sorry,” he says, looking up at Theo. “Didn’t see you there, Theo.”

“It’s fine,” Theo says dismissively. Liam looks at him. He’s a bit pale as well, and the bags under his eyes tell a similar story to his own. Theo grimaces a bit. “Heading home?”

“Yeah,” Liam sighs. “Coach thinks I need to rest.”

Theo hums in agreement, and they both stand there for a few long moments, drinking each other in. “Do you-” Theo hesitates, biting at his lip before continuing, “do you want to come over later?”

Hope sparks in his chest and Liam stuffs his trembling hands into his pockets. “Sure,” he agrees easily. “I need a nap first though.”

“That’s fine,” Theo agrees, giving him another assessing look. “Take as long as you need. I’ll still be up. Just text me.”

“Okay,” Liam whispers. 

Theo nods, squeezing his shoulder before easing past him and into the locker room. Liam stares down the hallway, feeling strangely like crying.

Yeah, he definitely needs to sleep.

It takes him twenty minutes to get home, and he leaves his bag by the door, throwing his keys and wallet onto the table in the hallway before going straight to his bedroom. He doesn’t even fully undress, just kicking off his pants and crawling under the covers.

He’s asleep before his head even hits the pillow.

When he wakes many hours later, he feels groggy. It wasn’t enough sleep, not even close, but he feels marginally more human as he forces himself to roll out of bed. He sits on the edge of it, rubbing his face in his hands, trying to wake up.

A glance at his phone tells him it’s just past ten o’clock. Normally, he’d never go over to Theo’s place this late, but he had offered, no matter what time it was, so he shoots off a text message to check.

Theo’s expecting him, so Liam forces himself into the shower and freshens up.

He gets changed into sweatpants and a hoodie, grabbing his pillow and a change of clothes in case he falls asleep there. With how he’s feeling, it’s highly likely. It won’t be the first time he’s crashed on Theo’s couch, and he doubts it will be the last.

Liam gets into his car and starts driving. This late on a Tuesday night, there’s limited traffic, and he gets to Theo’s place in half the time he usually does.

He knocks at the door, nuzzling into the pillow he cradles in his arms, listening as footsteps approach the door.

Theo opens it, giving him a hesitant smile. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Liam says quietly. Theo steps aside and lets him pass, and Liam’s hit again by that scent. He wants to bury his nose in it more than he wants anything else in the world.

“How was training?” He asks instead, waiting for Theo, who leads him into the lounge room.

“Long,” Theo sighs. “Difficult. Everyone was worried about you. Even Brett was asking after you.”

Liam nods, pushing down the pang of guilt and setting his bag down beside the couch. He falls onto it, tucking his pillow in behind his head. It’s a double recliner, and Theo sits next to him, passing him a blanket. Liam accepts it gratefully, tucking it around himself while Theo pulls up a movie. 

“Did you sleep well?” Theo asks him. Liam turns his body so that he’s facing Theo more than the television, studying his face. 

“I slept okay,” he says. “Definitely not long enough though.”

Theo’s face immediately goes stricken. “I’m sorry.”

Liam waves him off. “I’d rather be here anyway,” he mutters. Theo blinks a bit at that, eyes flicking over his face. Liam’s too tired to read into it, just giving him a sleepy smile. Theo’s face relaxes, and he smiles back.

“I’m glad,” Theo says quietly.

Liam hums in agreement. Theo turns away to select a movie, but Liam keeps watching him. Even late at night with bags under his eyes, Theo’s still the most beautiful person he’s ever seen. He could watch him for hours and never get bored of it.

Theo must have chosen something, because he hops up to turn off the light before returning and snuggling in next to him, draping his own blanket over his lap. He reclines the couches slightly, tucking a cushion under his head. Liam watches him try and get comfortable for a bit, smirking.

“Here,” he offers, leaning up and moving his pillow over a bit. “We can share.”

Theo looks at him, searching his face. “Okay,” he says quietly. “Thanks.” He moves closer, and their shoulders are pressed together as they share the pillow. This close, Liam can see the streaks of gold in Theo’s eyes, see every individual hair of the stubble that covers his jaw, see every micro-expression that flickers over his face.

Theo drags his gaze back to the television, and Liam can see the flush of colour on his cheeks, can watch with utter fascination as it crawls down his neck and disappears beneath the collar of his shirt.

The sound on the television is low, and Liam soon finds his eyelids drooping. He’s comfortable, he’s wrapped in Theo’s scent, and he’s safe. He nuzzles down further on the recliner, seeking warmth, and it wraps around him, lulling him into sleep.

An indeterminate amount of time later, his pillow moves and he grunts, clinging to it tighter. A chuckle tickles his ear. “It’s late, Liam,” Theo murmurs. “Time for me to go to bed.”

He fervently disagrees. He’s quite happy with where Theo is.

Theo tries again to leave, and Liam whimpers, rubbing his face over his strangely firm pillow and wrapping around it even more. Theo freezes, his breath leaving him in a shudder, and Liam shivers as well as Theo’s lips brush the sensitive skin of his ear.

He blinks a few times, eyes trying to adjust to the darkness. It’s hard though. He’s warmer than he’s been in well over a week, and he’s very reluctant to give that up.

The warmth at his back shifts, grabbing his shoulders and easing him onto his side. Liam’s confused and petulant as the warmth along his front vanishes as well, and he’s watching as a shadow starts to ease off the couch. Instinctively, he reaches up and grabs it, getting a good fistful of fabric.

“No,” he whispers.

“Liam,” Theo sighs.

He rolls onto his back, bringing his hand down with him, forcing Theo back onto the couch, until he’s the one draped over Liam’s chest.

“No,” he says again, firmer this time.

Theo’s face hovers over his. In the dark, Liam can’t see his expression. With a bravery born from the late hour, Liam whispers Theo’s name, a plea more than anything else, for him to be braver than Liam has, for him to take what they both so desperately want. To take that final step from friends to something more.

It’s late enough that tomorrow they could laugh this off, pretend it never happened. But that’s not what Liam wants.

He wants Theo to kiss him. 

“Please,” he whispers, barely loud enough to be heard.

Theo moves, and Liam can feel his breath caressing his own lips, can feel the sigh of his name as it leaves Theo’s mouth, and then there’s two soft clouds brushing his cheek, the corner of his lips, and then a firmer kiss on his lips.

Liam mewls, kissing him back, letting go of his shirt to wrap his arms around his neck, sighing as Theo kisses him again and again. He feels it as Theo shudders against him, settling more of his weight over him as he deepens the kiss. The first touch of Theo’s tongue tracing his lips makes him lightheaded, and he opens his mouth to him, whimpering as their tongues stroke together.

Nothing could have prepared him for this. He’s overwhelmed in the best way, his emotions running riot. The way Theo sighs his name makes his heart skip, and his hands tremble as he strokes them through Theo’s hair, holding him close. How did he ever survive without Theo’s lips on his?

After what feels like hours but must have been only minutes, Theo pulls away, kissing up to his temple and letting his lips rest there. “It’s late,” he whispers.

Liam hums his agreement, nuzzling his collarbone and pressing his own kiss there, feeling the racing of Theo’s heart against his lips.

“Come sleep with me,” Theo murmurs. Liam gasps, and Theo chuckles. “In my bed, I mean. Just to sleep.”

He nods his agreement, and Theo pulls back, helping him off the couch. He holds onto Liam’s hand as he leads him down the hallway and into his room. Liam pauses at the edge of the bed as Theo moves around the room, plugging in his phone, taking off his shirt, pulling back the covers.

It’s foreign, standing there in Theo’s room in the middle of the night, but somehow it feels right. Like this is where he’s meant to be.

Theo gets in, looking up at him and watching as Liam strips off his hoodie and then cautiously moves to the other side of the bed, slipping under the covers. Theo holds his arms open, and Liam scoots over, pressing a kiss to his lips before settling down over his chest, draping his head and one leg over his body. He sighs happily as Theo’s arm rests over his back, holding him close, his other hand catching Liam’s and intertwining their fingers together.

It’s perfect, and Liam smiles. Theo presses a kiss to the top of his head. “Good night,” he whispers.

“Night,” he whispers back.

In Theo’s arms, happier than he can ever remember being before, he falls asleep quickly.

And wakes, hours later, to a furry nose pressed to his cheek. Liam blinks a few times, reeling back a bit as two large eyes stare at him unblinkingly.

His eyes focus, and he cracks a smile. “Hey Athena,” he says, voice rough with sleep, running a hand over her head and down her body. She purrs, butting his hand with her head, and moves up to Theo, pawing at his face. He groans, and Liam pushes up on one elbow to watch as he wakes up, smothering Athena to his chest and grumbling into her fur.

“So cute,” he coos, and Theo cracks open an eyelid.

“Says you,” he murmurs, eyes tracing over his face and hair, smirking a bit. Liam smoothes a hand through his unruly hair, mock glaring at him.

“I’m not cute,” he insists.

“That’s right,” Theo agrees. “You’re pretty.”

And oh, if that rough morning voice calling him pretty doesn’t completely destroy him. Theo must see it in his face, because he chuckles, looking pleased with himself.

“Come here, pretty boy,” he says, reaching for him. Liam goes willingly, flushing under that fond gaze as he presses a soft kiss to Theo’s cheek. 

Theo pouts, and Liam darts in to kiss him, snickering as he then immediately rolls out of reach. Theo puts Athena aside and follows him, sliding and pinning him down, one hand on either side of his head, mouth hovering over his.

“Tease,” he whispers, and Theo smirks at him. 

“Just giving you a taste of your own medicine,” he grins. Liam stares at him. He’s too sleep fuddled for this level of flirting. His cock is already half hard, and he wants to spend the entire day in bed with Theo, exploring this newfound aspect to their relationship.

Besides, he already knows how to get what he wants.

“Please?”

Theo groans, but ducks down to kiss him. “I can’t say no to you,” he murmurs against his lips, and Liam smiles.

“I know,’ he says smugly, gripping the back of Theo’s neck, holding him close and kissing him back.

They spend half an hour in bed, lazily kissing, until Liam’s lips feel swollen and he’s dizzily hard. Theo’s in a similar situation, but they both shy away from anything further. 

“I want you,” Theo pants, burying his face in his neck and shuddering, “but I want to take it slow. Is that alright?”

“Yeah,” Liam agrees breathlessly. He’s waited a long time for Theo. He can wait a bit longer.

Their hands stay above the waist, and Liam certainly doesn’t mind. Theo’s shoulders are so broad, every muscle between them defined by hours in the gym. It makes his mouth water, how strong he is, how easily he can pick Liam up and throw him around.

Eventually, Theo pulls away with a deep, shuddery breath. His cheeks are flushed, the pink moving halfway down his chest. It’s adorable.

“Hungry?” Theo asks him. 

Liam smiles, caressing his cheek and enjoying the rough feel of Theo’s stubble against his fingertips. “Starving.”

Theo kisses him on the tip of his nose, withdrawing from the bed, and Liam’s eyes trace his muscular body, gulping at the sizeable tent at the front of Theo’s sweatpants. Theo stands at the edge of the bed, his own eyes surveying Liam’s body in turn. Liam flushes a little at the wet spot on the front of his sweatpants, and Theo groans as he turns away, taking a few deep breaths.

“Fucking sinful,” he hears his mutter into his hands. “Christ.”

He wanders out of the room, calling out over his shoulder that Liam can take a shower if he wants to, and Liam falls back onto the bed, groaning himself. Fuck, but he wants Theo, and badly at that. But he can respect taking it slow, even if it’s going to give him the worst case of blue balls he’s ever had in his life.

Liam gets into the shower, and he grabs some body wash, making no pretense of anything other than slicking up his cock and pumping it. He braces himself on the tiles, groaning into his arm.

He wants, more than anything, Theo to step in behind him, to slot along his back and take his cock in hand. He can imagine it so vividly. His lips at his neck, him giving a dark chuckle in his ear as he teases his hand along his length, his own cock rubbing against his ass.

He audibly gasps, his hand moving quicker over his cock. He should keep quiet, but he can’t. It’s too much, and he comes with a moan, painting the tiles white with his release, giving a choked off sob with every pulse, milking his cock for every drop.

Liam feels wrung out as he rinses off, chest heaving for breath.

Theo gives him a rueful look when he steps into the kitchen five minutes later. He’s stolen another pair of sweatpants from Theo’s drawer, and they hang quite low on his hips.

“Did you have fun?” He asks, eyes lingering on Liam’s hip bones.

Liam smirks, wrapping around Theo’s beck and kissing his shoulder. “Not as much fun as I would’ve had if you’d joined me.”

Theo groans, leaning back against him, and Liam laughs, nuzzling into his neck as he peers over his shoulder. Theo’s cooking omelettes, and Liam’s stomach rumbles. It smells amazing.

“Can I help?” He asks.

“Nah,” Theo says. “I mean, you can grab the juice from the fridge, but that’s it really. Everything else is done.”

He kisses Theo’s neck and withdraws, grabbing the carton of tropical fruit juice that Theo loves so much and a few glasses, filling them up. He puts them on the breakfast bar and leaves the carton out, settling onto one of the benches. He watches Theo move around the kitchen confidently, flipping the omelette and then putting it on a plate. He slides it in front of Liam, leaning over the counter to kiss him.

Liam holds the back of his neck, keeping him there as he deepens the kiss, lazily licking into his mouth. When he finally lets him go, Theo looks a bit dazed, and he grins at him, feeling smug.

Theo starts on the second omelette and Liam tucks into his, humming at the taste. Theo might not cook much, but those few dishes he does cook are incredible. It’s delicious, and he finishes it in record time, slowly sipping on his juice by the time Theo sits next to him.

They finish off their meal in companionable silence, and Liam enjoys it, looking out the window to where Athena is now stalking the birds outside. It’s a perfect moment, one that he wants to hold onto forever. It’s almost scary how easily he could get used to this.

He startles as Theo puts his cutlery down, turning to look at him. Theo smiles, leaning in to kiss his cheek, and then he gathers their plates, taking them over to the sink and rinsing them off, then placing them in the dishwasher. The rest of their dishes are quickly added as well, and Theo starts it, turning back to him when he’s done.

“You look a lot better today,” Theo observes. “Less walking dead.”

Liam just smiles at him. “Rest and good company, I guess.”

Theo smiles, moving around the breakfast bar and wrapping around his back. His lips nibble on Liam’s ear, making him melt, his hands warm and possessive on his chest.

“Doing anything today?” Theo asks in a low voice.

“Other than practice later, no,” he murmurs. “You?”

“Same.”

“Sooo,” Liam drawls. “Netflix and chill?”

Theo laughs, and Liam leans back into him, enjoying the sound. This is the happiness and calm he needs to pull around himself. This is what he’s playing for.

\---

The day before the big game, Liam stands in the airport, looking from the terminal out to where their plane has just started boarding. He’s waiting for Theo, who wanted to grab a decent coffee before boarding the plane. 

Nolan sidles up next to him, nudging his shoulder.

“You seem happier,” he says quietly.

Liam eyes him, giving him a suspicious look. “And what about it?”

“I’m happy for you,” Nolan says, not quailing at all under Liam’s stern look. He’s come a long way in the past year and a bit. Not that long ago, Nolan never would have even looked him in the eye, let alone held his ground like this.

“Thanks,” he murmurs reluctantly. 

“Did you two have a fight or something?” Nolan asks, indicating Theo with a jerk of his head. The other man was walking towards them, balancing two large coffees in his hands.

“No,” Liam said. “Not exactly.”

He doesn’t elaborate, and Nolan doesn’t question any further because Theo’s there, smiling as he looks between them and hands Liam his coffee. Liam smiles back at him, and wants desperately to kiss him, but they’d both decided to keep their relationship private for now.

“Ready to go?” Theo asks.

“Yep,” Liam agrees, humming happily as he takes a sip of his mocha. It’s more sugar than coffee, and Theo thinks its an abomination, but Liam couldn’t care less. He has an incurable sweet tooth, one that he’s rarely able to give in to. His morning coffee is one of his few indulgences.

They’re on an early flight today, Coach hoping to skip the majority of the paparazzi. He doesn’t want his players distracted, and interviews today would be a distraction. The few photographers there had snapped a few pictures, but that’s about it.

Liam knows it will be different when they land in Texas, but having Theo at his side will definitely help. Derek’s been keeping a watchful eye on him all morning, so he knows that between the two of them he’s in good hands.

The flight is a fairly short one, and Liam spends it dozing and quietly chatting with Theo. This early in the morning, the flight isn’t full, so they have the three seats to themselves. It’s nice to be able to sit without a stranger virtually on top of him and he enjoys the flight a damn sight more than he normally does. The fact that Theo holds his hand for most of it certainly helps with that as well.

As soon as they touch down, it’s bedlam. Every reporter on the West Coast seems to be packed into Dallas Airport and Liam can barely hear himself think over the yelling and flashing cameras. Derek is a strong wall at his back, leading him through the mayhem and straight onto the team bus. Theo stays with him while Derek leaves to fetch their luggage.

Theo looks out the window, looking bemused. “What a nightmare,” he says. “Can’t say I ever pictured this when I signed up to be a professional hockey player.”

“Me either,” Liam admits. “I never thought that hockey would ever garner this kind of attention. I mean, basketball or football sure. All of those guys are paid millions of dollars.”

“Wait, you’re not getting paid millions?” Theo asks, looking shocked. He manages to hold the expression for a few seconds, and then bursts out laughing. Liam hits his arm.

“Asshole,” Liam grumbles.

Theo just smirks at him. Liam wants to kiss it from his face, but he’s conscious of the cameras pointed at them through the window. He settles for taking his hand again, giving it a light squeeze. From the fond smile that Theo gives him, it’s clear that he understands.

Derek returns with their luggage, and the rest of the team slowly filters onto the bus. They all look a bit hunted, and Liam moves up and down the bus, reassuring them, calming them, and by the time the bus takes off everyone is more or less back to normal.

They need to be focussed.

Liam drowns out the noise of the team as they drive to their hotel, staring out the window. 

Tomorrow, he’ll see Scott again. It’s hard to describe the emotions churning in his gut at that thought. He hasn’t spoken to him, hasn’t reached out, and neither has Scott. He knows the media has speculated on the fact that neither of them have deleted each other from social media, but Liam’s reluctant to take that final step.

This is Scott. Scott, who welcomed him into the team and showed him around the city. Scott who always had a kind smile and reassuring word to say. Scott who was there for him through every step of the way. All but one.

Captain.

It’s hard to imagine why Scott would give up the captaincy to go and play off the bench for Dallas. What does he get out of that deal? Liam’s racked his brain but can’t see a single positive. And all this time, all he’s wanted to ask him is one thing; why?

Why the secrecy? Why the lies? Why hadn’t he told him?

In the days and weeks and months since Scott left, Liam has been angry, hating what he’s done. But he can’t bring himself to hate Scott. 

Which makes him feel guilty, because the rest of the team clearly doesn’t feel the same way. They want to rip him apart for what he’s done, for leaving them. 

“Hey, you okay?” Theo asks, nudging his shoulder.

He nods, shooting him an absent smile. “Sorry, just thinking.” 

“About the game?”

“Yeah, and about Scott,” he replies. 

“Don’t worry,” Theo says, his eyes shining with a dangerous light. “He’ll pay.”

Liam bites at his lip, his heart sinking in his chest. “That’s what worries me,” he admits. “You saw the press. They’re like sharks, circling. They want blood.”

Theo shrugs. “So we’ll give them what they want.”

Liam grimaces a bit. “Is that really who we are?” He asks.

Theo searches his face and frowns a bit. “What do you mean?”

He thinks about it for a minute before replying. “I don’t know, exactly. It just doesn’t sit right with me, I guess. It’s like we’re stooping to his level.”

Theo considers this. “Okay, but look at it from the team’s perspective. You do nothing, and you’re basically saying that what he’s done is okay.”

“Maybe,” Liam agrees, “but I think I’d prefer that than to see the headlines after the game calling us bloodthirsty thugs.”

The other man grimaces at that. “Point taken,” he mutters. Theo studies him for a moment, searching his face. Then he sighs. “I’ll talk to Brett.”

Relief floods him. “Thank you,” he whispers.

Theo squeezes his hand. The message is clear, even if he doesn’t say the words.

_I’ve got your back._

\---

_“One of the most anticipated matches of the 2019/2020 season, Los Angeles Rams travel to take on the Dallas Stars,” Josh Bogorad says, shuffling his cards and beaming at the camera. “Joining me to give you the pre-game rundown is Daryl Reaugh. What do you think Daryl?”_

_“Thank you, Josh,” Daryl says smoothly. “One for the record books for sure. I’m looking forward to it.”_

_“Now, there’s been a lot of discussion in the media about how this is all going to play out. A lot of people, including the fans, think it’s going to get messy out there.”_

_Daryl chuckles. “They want blood,” he says with an amused shake of his head. “It’s not hard to see why.”_

_“Yes, the man of the moment, Scott McCall,” Josh explains for the viewers, turning to look at the camera. “Rams favourite son turned supervillain. This young man definitely turned heads when he gave up his captaincy to join the Stars late in the preseason. He’s played a minor role here off the bench and coming in on that right side to support Radulov and Perry, making many question why he would make this shift.”_

_“He’s keeping quiet about that,” Daryl mock complains, and Josh nods._

_“He sure is, Daryl. Very little coming from the Rams camp as well.”_

_“It’s all very mysterious,” Daryl says with relish. He glances down at his notes before looking up at the camera. “The Stars are coming off a three game win streak to tonight's game, and are looking to make it four in this highly anticipated match.”_

_“That’s right Daryl,” Josh agrees. “They’ve been playing well. McCall’s experience coming off the bench would play a large part in that, wouldn’t you agree?”_

_“That’s exactly it Daryl. McCall’s experience and poise on the ice is unmatched,” he says enthusiastically. “He plays Peter Patience with that puck and it’s scored him a few handy goals.”_

_“For sure,” Josh smirks. “As for the Rams, they’ve had a tough season.”_

_“They’re definitely the underdogs,” Daryl muses, looking thoughtful. “A very young team, lead now by Liam Dunbar. He’s shown some extraordinary leadership already.”_

_“He has indeed,” Josh nods. “You can see the team falling into line around him. I think it’s just a matter of time for the Rams. Is that tonight? Well, we’ll just have to wait and see.”_

_“Indeed we will,” Daryl says, looking excited. “Let’s head down to the pre-game show, where Brien Rea is catching up with Stars coach Jim Montgomery to get his thoughts on tonight’s clash.”_

_“Over to you, Brien.”_

\---

His heart is racing in his chest, so fast he feels a bit faint. As much as he wants to win and prove himself as captain, the thought of being on the ice opposite Scott wrenches his heart. A hand squeezes his shoulder.

“You can do this,” Theo says under his breath. He doesn’t dare do or say anything more, not when every camera in this place is pointed directly at them, a glance at the large screens dominating the high roof of the stadium showing them standing side by side on the ice.

He can’t show weakness.

Liam steels himself, giving Theo a minute nod. He backs up, going to his position, and Liam skates to the centre, facing off against Jamie Benn. They shake hands, and Benn says nothing, just smirking at him. He knows Liam is rattled, knows that his team has the advantage.

But Theo is right. This is what they’ve been training for. They’ve lost more games than they’ve won so far, but they’re a team now, a tight unit. 

And they can win this.

He doesn’t let himself look for Scott. He’s pretty sure he’s on the bench, but he focuses instead on the puck, twirling around and around in the ref’s fingers.

Five. Four. Three. Two. One.

It drops, and Liam lunges forward, wrestling with Benn, shoving him aside with his shoulder as he flicks the puck back to Garrett. 

The first period is frustrating. Despite shot after shot at the goal, Bishop manages to stop every single one, even catching one shot in his glove. Liam glowers at him as he skates behind the goal. They need to score badly, but Dallas isn’t giving them an inch. The only positive is that the Stars aren’t scoring either. The only shot they’ve had so far was easily batted aside by Corey.

It’s a physical game. Liam watches with a grim satisfaction as Scott is slammed into the side wall again by Brett. Theo had talked to him, but Brett had told him in no uncertain terms that a game was a game, and that he had no intention of checking his aggression to suck up to the press.

Which is fair. And it is satisfying to watch his defense shut down every Stars player’s attempts to score.

Most of the players are down their scoring end when Brett takes offense to one of Oleksiak’s jabs to his solar plexus. He throws his gloves down, and Liam scowls as he watches Oleksiak do the same. He knows that fights are part of the game, but he hates them. Mainly because it means it’ll end with Brett sitting on the bench, and that’s giving Dallas way too much of an advantage to his liking.

On the sidelines, the bench players clap their sticks on the wall and the crowd cheers, baying for blood.

Both players throw punches, but Brett manages to get Oleksiak’s helmet off and they grapple to the ground. It’s only then that the refs pull them off of each other and a grinning Brett is escorted to the sin bin. He sits down, running a hand through his hair and Liam quickly looks him over. He has a split lip, but nothing that will stop him from playing. Oleksiak is in similar shape, with a black eye already forming. Brett winks at him as he skates past, and Liam shakes his head at him, watching as both players are replaced.

Play quickly starts up again, and Liam gains possession of the puck, protecting it with his body while turning away from the goal. There’s too many players between him and the goal, but Garrett is sneaking in on the far side. Liam feints left, drawing two players to him, and then fast as lightning he passes it over the ice. 

Garrett has a clear line to the goal and swoops in, grinning madly as he easily slots it in behind Bishop.

Liam pumps his fist, and they all huddle together, high fiving Garrett.

“Great pass,” Theo murmurs to him as the rest skate away. Liam nods at him, biting back a smile. They can do this. He’s sure of it.

They’re hungry for another goal, dominating the play as they circle the ice like sharks. The opportunity will come, and until then they pass it around, feinting and twirling, holding back the Stars defense with an effortlessness that makes Liam feel giddy. Brett comes back onto the ice, and it’s his aggressiveness that gives them the next shot. He checks Scott, leaving Nolan free in the centre of the rink. 

Garrett flicks the puck to him and Nolan winds back and pounds it down the ice.

Liam knows it’s going to go in before the stick even hits the puck. It’s the light of determination in Nolan’s eyes. He won’t miss. 

Somehow, the entire defense between him and the goal all miss the puck and it sails right between Bishop’s legs. 

Brett smirks at Scott as he moves past him, tapping the back of his skate with his stick. He’s being a prick, but with the rush of adrenaline in his system right now, Liam can’t bring himself to care. He wants to win.

This time, the Stars recoup and it’s them dominating the play. Only a minute later, Liam watches with dismay as Seguin passes and then immediately gets the puck back, flicking it straight behind Corey and into the goal.

The first period finishes shortly after and Liam grits his teeth, skating to the bench and making his way to the clubrooms with the rest of the team.

“Bad luck,” Liam says quietly to Corey, squeezing his shoulder.

Corey nods, but he looks annoyed. “I could’ve stopped that. I should have.”

“You’ll stop the next one,” Liam tells him confidently. Corey studies his face and then nods.

He tunes into Coach, who’s mostly yelling about crushing the Stars under their collective heels. His grin is a bit manic, and Liam bites back a smile. He glances at Theo, who’s doing the same. Their eyes meet, and Theo rolls his eyes at him. Liam smirks.

“-I want to see blood!” Coach finishes with, showing far too much teeth for Liam’s liking.

They all nod, and Brett in particular looks like he’s taken Coach’s feedback on board. 

“I’ll watch him,” Theo mutters as he hands him a sports drink.

Liam always used to use the intermission time to sit on his own and think about how the game is going and what more he can do. As Captain, he doesn’t get that luxury. Instead, he goes around to all of the players, handing out drinks and checking in on how they’re doing. 

Brett is holding an ice pack to his lip when he reaches him, scowling slightly.

“He got you good, huh?” Liam says with a smirk.

“Fuck off,” Brett grumbles. “I got him even better and you know it.”

“True,” he acknowledges. “Keep being aggressive out there, it’s working for us. But no more bench time.”

“Got it,” Brett agrees. “Be more sneaky.”

Liam shakes his head, feeling bemused. “Sure,” he says. “I guess you could say that.”

Before long, the intermission is over and they’re heading back onto the ice. Second period is fierce, and the puck changes hands many times. In one play, Scott manages to get the puck off of Stiles, slamming him into the side wall and passing the puck straight to Seguin.

The Stars’ passes zigzag up the ice and then Janmark shoots it around Corey’s body. The scores are now tied, and Liam grinds his teeth together. 

They bounce back, taking shot after shot. Eventually, it’s a steal from Theo in defence and a quick pass up the ice to Liam that gets them going again. Liam winds back and shoots. Bishop stops it, but it rebounds straight to Stiles, who redeems himself by flicking it straight past Bishop and into the net.

The puck goes up and down the ice many, many times but there’s no more scores in the second period. Bishop is on fire, blocking shot after shot, but then so is Corey, who seems to have taken Liam’s words to heart, stopping everything that comes his way. 

Brett is aggressive, using the wall to his advantage, giving every player who comes close a few bruises to remember him by. Conveniently, it always seems to be when the ref glances away. He seems to have a supernatural sense for these things, and Liam can see the frustration mounting.

Everyone is buzzing with energy during the break. This is what it will all come down to. Third period.

As soon as they hit the ice, competition is fierce. There are enough turnovers that even Liam is starting to feel dizzy from it. He feels like he’s in a tennis match, rather than hockey, his knees starting to ache from the constant back and forth. 

They have one close shot at goal and then almost five minutes into the period Stars finally score, with Faksa getting a rebound off of Corey’s pad to score.

The minutes are counting down, and Liam is starting to panic a bit. Suddenly the Stars defense is sticking to him like glue, and Scott doesn’t let him skate so much as an inch without bumping him and harassing him. It’s ugly hockey, but it’s effective, and Liam can feel his ire growing.

“What’s wrong, Liam?” Scott taunts, his voice low. “Gonna blow up? Go on, hit me. You know you want to.”

Liam shakes him off, his scowl deepening. Scott knows about his condition, and seems to be doing his absolute best to trigger it, trying to get into his head. It’s this, more than anything else, that kills the last shred of hope Liam had been hanging on to.

He doesn’t know Scott. Maybe he never really did.

Stiles sneaks in a quick goal while most of the Stars defense are occupied in hassling Liam, which brings the score to an even three all. But as soon as the puck is back down on the ice, there Scott is, dogging him again. 

Theo appears like an angel, slamming Scott into the wall and winding him, giving Liam a breather as he skates free. 

“Okay?” He asks, looking concerned. 

“No,” Liam snarls. But he’s already moving on, hunting for the puck, not much caring about who is on the receiving end of his elbows as he wrestles the puck from Benn, passing it across the ice to Nolan. 

Behind him, Brett also shoves Scott into the wall. Liam doesn’t look back. His eyes are forward, focussed on the goal.

One minute left. Theo keeps the defence off of him, and it’s like he’s untouchable, the path to the goal shining in his mind like a beacon. He dodges around Seguin who lunges towards the puck. Benn can’t stop him, with Garrett shouldering him aside. 

A wall of players stands between him and the goal; McCall, Oleksiak and Polak. They all go for him, their eyes shining with malicious glee. 

He waits until the last second, bracing himself for impact. As soon as they’re about to hit, he flicks the puck quickly to Nolan, who rockets it across the ice to Stiles. He has a clear shot, slamming it straight into the back of the net.

Liam grimaces as Scott crunches into him on one side and Oleksiak on the other. Theo pulls him out and away, and Liam coughs weakly, struggling to catch his breath. Brett dives in, always eager for a fight, but Theo ignores it all, helping him over to the bench.

“Excellent,” Coach yells in his ear. “Absolutely excellent, Dunbar!” He then immediately turns away to cheer on Brett, who is once again throwing down with Oleksiak, gloves on the ice at their feet.

“You good?” Theo asks him, searching his face.

“Fine,” Liam wheezes. “Get back out there. Only twenty seconds left. Lock down that defense.”

And he does. Liam watches from the sidelines, his chest aching. He already knows he’ll have a hell of a bruise, but as the final siren sounds, he barely notices, cheering loudly from the sidelines.

There’s the usual post-game routine. Interviews, warm down, team chats, showers. Through it all, Liam has a huge grin on his face.

They won. They actually won. 

Theo stays at his side, hovering over him and making sure he’s taking it easy. Liam can tell he’s worried, but the doctor checked his ribs after the game and apart from a bit of bruising, he’s fine. He still appreciates it though. It’s just more proof that Theo cares about him. 

“Can we leave?” He asks Theo not long into the usual post-match dinner, leaning over to whisper into his ear.

“Not feeling well?” Theo asks.

“No, I’m fine,” Liam reassures him. “Just tired.”

Across the table, Nolan shoots him a concerned look, but Liam just smiles at him. He is tired, but also he’s sick of being in the public eye. What he’s looking forward to now is to get back to the hotel and cuddle up with Theo without feeling like everyone is watching. Theo’s been holding his hand under the table, but it isn’t enough right now.

“Yeah sure,” Theo agrees. “I’ll ask the waiter to change our meals to take-away.”

Liam nods, and Theo gets up to organise it.

“You good?” Stiles asks him from his other side. The rest of the team is also watching, and Liam’s heart swells. These guys care about him. They’re a team. It’s really nice.

“Yeah,” he says, his smile widening. “I’m great. That knock just took it out of me.”

Brett nods in understanding. One of his hands is resting on top of the table, an ice pack draped over his knuckles. Nolan has been hovering over him as much as Theo has been over Liam, clucking like an old hen.   
Brett has been thoroughly enjoying the attention. Liam knows for a fact that he’s been pining over Nolan for months now. Apparently him defending Liam on the ice had made Nolan see him in a new light.

Theo returns quickly and they say goodbye. It’s not even remotely subtle that they’re leaving together, but Liam is far beyond caring what they make of that. He’s with Theo now, and he couldn’t be happier about it.

They take a taxi back to the hotel room. They’re both silent, lost in their own thoughts. Liam feels like he’s exorcised his demons in facing Scott. They didn’t get to talk, obviously, but the way Scott had treated him had shown clearly that relationship was dead and buried as far as Scott was concerned. 

It’s a relief, to be honest. He can put that chapter of his life behind him and focus on the future instead. He looks at Theo, who senses his gaze and smiles at him, taking his hand and squeezing it. This is what he needs to focus on now. The blessings in his life, the people who care about him, how lucky he is to have them.

He squeezes Theo’s hand back, the weight on his shoulders disappearing into the night.

\---

Liam shivers as Theo’s arms tighten around him, leaning back more heavily against his chest. His lips trail up his neck, nibbling at his ear and Liam can feel his knees weaken. He feels Theo’s low chuckle as his breath tickles his skin and has to bite his lip. God, he’s so weak for this man.

“Stop hogging the captain,” Garrett complains, shooting Theo a glare.

“You want to kiss his neck too, Davies?” Theo asks him. Liam doesn’t need to look at his face to know that he’s smirking.

Garrett’s cheeks turn red, whether with embarrassment or indignation it’s hard to tell. “No!” He says quickly. “We need him to come cook the barbecue.”

“Sure,” Theo drawls. Liam pouts as Theo slides his arms away, stepping back. “He’s all yours.”

Garrett grabs his arm and starts dragging him, and Liam looks over his shoulder at Theo, who winks and blows him a kiss. He doesn’t want to cook the barbecue. He wants to cuddle with Theo.

“You two are ridiculous,” Garrett complains. “This whole party was your idea, you know.”

“I know,” Liam sighs, turning back to Garrett and following him. “I’m glad you all came, really.” It’s not the team’s fault that Theo looks positively sinful in tight shorts and a baggy singlet. His muscles are all on display, and Liam wants to trace every single one of them with his tongue.

“Sure you are,” Garrett smirks. “Am I supposed to believe that you’re not fantasising about taking Theo inside and jumping his bones?”

“Of course I am,” Liam says, grinning at Garrett. “It’s okay, I can still do that later.”

“Gross,” Garrett says, but the light teasing tone to his voice tells him he doesn’t mean it. “You’re almost as bad as Nolan.”

Liam follows Garrett’s gaze to where Nolan is perched sideways on Brett’s lap. He seems quite busy sucking a row of hickies up Brett’s neck, one hand running up underneath the taller man’s shirt. Brett seems quite pleased by this, if his glazed expression and the way he’s chewing on his lower lip are any indication.

“Almost,” Liam agrees. “But I’m not the one putting my hand down my boyfriend’s pants in my teammates backyard.”

Sure enough, Nolan’s hand is now questing downwards, sliding along the edge of Brett’s pants.

Garrett grabs an empty plastic soda bottle and ditches it at the couple. It clatters at their feet and they both jump. “Get a room!” He hollers.

Nolan sticks his finger up at them, but Brett has the grace to look at least mildly embarrassed. Liam chuckles as Brett grabs Nolan’s wrist and removes it from his pants, giving his boyfriend a baleful look. Nolan gets up with an aggrieved sigh, walking into the house, and Liam’s eyes sweep up and down Brett’s body.

“Lucky Nolan,” he murmurs to Garrett, who bursts out laughing. There’s a very obvious and sizeable tent in the front of Brett’s shorts.

Brett slinks off after Nolan, cheeks bright red.

“You realise they’re probably about to bone inside your house, right?” Garrett points out.

Liam shrugs. “As long as they clean up after themselves, who gives a shit.”

Garrett laughs.

“Speaking of hooking up,” Liam says slyly. “How did things go with Tara?”

All of a sudden, Garrett doesn’t seem that interested in talking, and his cheeks turn pink. Liam grins, poking him with the tongs. 

“Out with it Davies,” he says with a wicked laugh.

“She told me to take a hike,” he says with a dramatic sigh. “Satisfied?”

“Immensely,” Liam smirks. “The old Davies charm didn’t work on her, huh?”

“Sadly, no,” Garrett grumbles, poking at the sausages with his tongs. 

“She’s too much woman for you,” Liam says. He’s met Tara a few times now, and she’s terrifying. She loves Theo though, so they have that in common. It makes it fairly easy for them to get along. Not that he’s told Theo yet, though he plans to. Soon probably. He glances over at Theo, who is in conversation with Stiles, the two of them snarking back and forth.

Theo senses his gaze and looks over, giving him a warm smile that fills Liam’s belly with butterflies. He doesn’t think he’ll get over how unnaturally beautiful Theo is.

Garrett grabs his attention back to flip the steaks, and soon the topic turns to other things. Mostly hockey and how the team is going. It makes the time pass quickly as they prepare all of the meat for the barbecue. The backyard is soon filled with the mouthwatering scent of cooked meat. 

Liam looks around, finding Stiles and Theo putting out the salads and bread on the table, while Corey sets out the plates and cutlery. Garrett holds the meat tray while Liam loads it up, and he helps him keep it steady as they carry it and place it down in the centre of the table.

“Man, that looks so good,” Nolan moans, having finally surfaced from the house. He certainly looks a lot more dishevelled than when he entered it, and Liam gives him a knowing look. Nolan smirks at him and turns away, giving Liam a good look at the bruises sucked into his collarbone. Looks like Nolan isn’t the only one who likes marking his territory.

Liam looks at Theo, who has a bemused smile dancing on his lips. He meets Liam’s gaze, winking at him, and Liam smiles back. 

They all sit at the table, with Liam at the head of it. Theo is on his left side, while Brett sits at the other. They all look expectantly at Liam, who stands up, holding up his beer.

“Right,” he says, clearing his throat. “I want to say first of all, thank you for coming. I know we’re teammates first, but it’s a privilege to count you as my friends also. You’ve all accepted me as captain, all worked hard, and I could not be more thankful right now. So yeah, thanks for that. Dig in.”

“Hear hear,” Stiles yells.

The others all laugh, and Liam squirms. He’s not good at this speech giving business and it’s a relief to sit down. Theo squeezes his hand and smiles at him, and Liam smiles back. 

The dishes are passed around, and the afternoon air is filled with talking and laughter, friends sharing a meal together. 

Later, when they all go home and Theo helps him to pack up, Liam is completely unable to keep the smile off his face.

“What is it?” Theo asks, coming up behind him and pulling him into his arms, pressing a soft kiss to his shoulder.

“I’m just happy,” he says, turning his head to look at Theo. “We’re lucky.”

“We are,” Theo agrees.

He turns in Theo’s arms, wrapping his arms around the back of his neck and pulling him in for a kiss. Theo kisses him back instantly, hands settling at his waist to hold him close. Their kisses are soft and sweet, loving in a way that fills Liam’s entire heart.

“I love you,” he whispers against Theo’s lips. He can’t hold the words in a second longer. And as they echo in the silence, he knows they’re right. He loves Theo with all his heart.

Theo stills, pulling back slightly to look at him. His eyes are shining with emotion as he cups Liam’s face in his hands.

“I love you too,” Theo says. “So much.”

They beam at each other, a little weepy but both overwhelmingly happy. They kiss again, but it’s hardly a kiss at all, both of them grinning too widely. Liam holds Theo as close as he can, and he knows that everything from now on is going to be fine.


End file.
